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Amos 3

The Lord has decided what he will do

3 You Israelites, listen to this message that the Lord speaks against you. This message is to all you people that he saved from Egypt. ² He says, ‘There are many nations of people on the earth. But I chose you alone to belong to me. So I will punish you when you do wrong things.’

The prophet's work

³ If two people travel together, they have first agreed to meet together. ⁴ If a lion roars in the forest, it means that he has killed an animal to eat. A young lion does not shout unless he has caught something.

⁵ If there is no food in a trap, a bird will not fly into it. If the door of the trap closes, it means that it has caught something. ⁶ Also, if the people in a city hear a trumpet's sound, they become very afraid. If bad trouble comes to a city, it means that the Lord has sent it.

⁷ Before the Lord God decides to send trouble, he first tells his prophets about it. ⁸ So now the lion has roared! Everyone should be afraid! The Lord God has spoken, so his prophets must tell his message.

Samaria

⁹ Tell this message now in Ashdod city. Go to the strong cities in Egypt and speak the message there. Say this: ‘Come to the mountains in Samaria. Look at the cruel things that people are doing in Samaria. Many people are afraid.’ ¹⁰ The Lord says, ‘People have forgotten how to be honest. They rob people and they store valuable things in their big houses. They become rich because they are so cruel.’

¹¹ So the Lord God says, ‘Enemies will come to attack your land. They will destroy your strong buildings. They will take all your good things from you.’

¹² The Lord says, ‘When a lion catches a young sheep, the shepherd will try to save as much as he can. He might save only two legs, or a small part of an ear. It will be the same for the Israelites who live in Samaria. They will escape with only a piece of a bed, or a bit of cloth.’

¹³ The Lord God Almighty said to me, ‘Listen! Go and warn the Israelites that they have done wrong things. ¹⁴ I will punish them because they have not obeyed my Law. I will destroy the altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will break off and they will fall to the ground. ¹⁵ I will destroy all their houses, the homes that they live in during the winter, and the ones that they live in during the summer. I will completely destroy all their big, beautiful houses, with their valuable things made from ivory.’ That is what the Lord says.

Warning to Israel

3 People of Israel, listen to this message! This is what the Lord said about you, Israel. This message is about all the families that I brought from the land of Egypt. ² “There are many families on earth, but you are the only family I chose to know in a special way. And you turned against me, so I will punish you for all your sins.”

The Cause of Israel’s Punishment

³ Two people will not walk together
unless they have agreed to do so.
⁴ A lion will roar in the forest
only if it catches its prey.
A young lion roaring in his cave
means he has caught something to eat.
⁵ A bird doesn’t fly into a trap
unless there is food in it.
If a trap closes,
it will catch the bird.
⁶ If people hear the warning blast of a trumpet,
they shake with fear.
If trouble comes to a city,
the Lord caused it to happen.

⁷ When the Lord God decides to do something, he will first tell his servants, the prophets. ⁸ When a lion roars, people are frightened. When the Lord God speaks, a prophet must prophesy.

^9-10 Go to the high towers in Ashdod ^{[ a ]} and in Egypt and announce this message from the Lord : “Come together on the mountains of Samaria. See the great confusion there because the people don’t know how to live right. See how cruel they are to others. They take things from people to hide in their high towers. Their treasuries are filled with the things they have taken in war.”

¹¹ So the Lord God says, “An enemy will surround your land. They will break down your strong walls and take the things you have hidden in your high towers.”

¹² The Lord says,

“A lion might attack a lamb,
and a shepherd might try to save the lamb.
But the shepherd will save
only a part of that lamb.
He might pull two legs
or a part of an ear from the lion’s mouth.
In the same way, most of the people of Israel will not be saved.
Those who live in Samaria will save only a corner from a bed,
or a piece of cloth from a couch.”

¹³ This is what the Lord God All-Powerful says: “Warn the family of Jacob about these things. ¹⁴ Israel sinned, and I will punish them for their sins. And when I do, I will also destroy the altars at Bethel. ^{[ b ]} The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. ¹⁵ I will destroy the winter house with the summer house. The houses of ivory will be destroyed. Many houses will be destroyed.” This is what the Lord said.

Footnotes

Amos 3:9 Ashdod An important city of the Philistines.
Amos 3:14 Bethel A town in Israel. This name means “God’s house.”

3 Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

² You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

³ Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

⁴ Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

⁵ Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

⁶ Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

⁷ Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

⁸ The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

⁹ Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

¹⁰ For they know not to do right, saith the Lord , who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

¹¹ Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

¹² Thus saith the Lord ; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

¹³ Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God , the God of hosts,

¹⁴ That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

¹⁵ And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord .

All the Tribes Are Guilty

3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire ^{[ a ]} ^{( A )} family which ^{[ b ]} He brought up from the land of Egypt:

² “ ^{( B )} You only have I ^{[ c ]} known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will ^{[ d ]} ^{( C )} punish you for all your wrongdoing.”
³ Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
⁴ Does a ^{( D )} lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion ^{[ e ]} growl from his den unless he has captured something ?
⁵ Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no ^{[ f ]} device in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
⁶ If a ^{( E )} trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble?
If a ^{( F )} disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?
⁷ ^{[ g ]} Certainly the Lord ^{[ h ]} God does nothing
Unless He ^{( G )} reveals His secret plan
To His servants the prophets.
⁸ A ^{( H )} lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The ^{( I )} Lord God has spoken! ^{( J )} Who can do anything but prophesy?

⁹ Proclaim on the citadels in ^{( K )} Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the ^{( L )} mountains of Samaria and see the great panic within her and the ^{( M )} oppressions in her midst. ¹⁰ But they ^{( N )} do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord , “these who ^{( O )} store up ^{[ i ]} violence and devastation in their citadels.”

¹¹ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

“An ^{( P )} enemy, one surrounding the land,
Will take down your fortifications from you,
And your ^{( Q )} citadels will be looted.”

¹² This is what the Lord says:

“Just as the shepherd ^{[ j ]} ^{( R )} snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel living in Samaria be ^{[ k ]} snatched away—
With the ^{( S )} corner of a bed and the ^{[ l ]} ^{( T )} cover of a couch!
¹³ Hear and ^{( U )} testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord God , the God of armies.
¹⁴ “For on the day that I punish Israel’s offenses,
I will also punish the altars of ^{( V )} Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off,
And will fall to the ground.
¹⁵ I will also strike the ^{( W )} winter house together with the ^{( X )} summer house;
The houses of ^{[ m ]} ^{( Y )} ivory will also perish,
And the ^{( Z )} great houses will come to an end,”
Declares the Lord .

Footnotes

Amos 3:1 I.e., nation
Amos 3:1 Lit I
Amos 3:2 Or chosen
Amos 3:2 Lit visit
Amos 3:4 Lit give his voice
Amos 3:5 Lit snare
Amos 3:7 Or For
Amos 3:7 Heb YHWH , usually rendered Lord , and so throughout the ch
Amos 3:10 I.e., the plunder from violence
Amos 3:12 Or rescues
Amos 3:12 Or rescued
Amos 3:12 Or headrest ; lit damask
Amos 3:15 I.e., ivory inlay

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

3 Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you ^{( A )} —against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt: ^{( B )}

² “You only have I chosen ^{( C )}
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish ^{( D )} you
for all your sins. ^{( E )} ”

³ Do two walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ Does a lion roar ^{( F )} in the thicket
when it has no prey? ^{( G )}
Does it growl in its den
when it has caught nothing?
⁵ Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
when no bait ^{( H )} is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
if it has not caught anything?
⁶ When a trumpet ^{( I )} sounds in a city,
do not the people tremble?
When disaster ^{( J )} comes to a city,
has not the Lord caused it? ^{( K )}

⁷ Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
without revealing his plan ^{( L )}
to his servants the prophets. ^{( M )}

⁸ The lion ^{( N )} has roared ^{( O )} —
who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
who can but prophesy? ^{( P )}

⁹ Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod ^{( Q )}
and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; ^{( R )}
see the great unrest within her
and the oppression among her people.”

¹⁰ “They do not know how to do right, ^{( S )} ” declares the Lord ,
“who store up in their fortresses ^{( T )}
what they have plundered ^{( U )} and looted.”

¹¹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“An enemy will overrun your land,
pull down your strongholds
and plunder your fortresses. ^{( V )} ”

¹² This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s ^{( W )} mouth
only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,
with only the head of a bed
and a piece of fabric ^{[ a ]} from a couch. ^{[ b ]} ^{( X )} ”

¹³ “Hear this and testify ^{( Y )} against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

¹⁴ “On the day I punish ^{( Z )} Israel for her sins,
I will destroy the altars of Bethel; ^{( AA )}
the horns ^{( AB )} of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
¹⁵ I will tear down the winter house ^{( AC )}
along with the summer house; ^{( AD )}
the houses adorned with ivory ^{( AE )} will be destroyed
and the mansions ^{( AF )} will be demolished, ^{( AG )} ”
declares the Lord . ^{( AH )}

Footnotes

Amos 3:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Amos 3:12 Or Israelites be rescued, / those who sit in Samaria / on the edge of their beds / and in Damascus on their couches.

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Table of Contents

Amos 3

The Lord has decided what he will do

The prophet's work

Samaria

Warning to Israel

The Cause of Israel’s Punishment

Footnotes

All the Tribes Are Guilty

Footnotes

Cross references

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Footnotes

Cross references

BibleStudyIt Amos 3

Amos 3's Chapter Tabs Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

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Your Private Notes

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Amos 3

The Lord has decided what he will do

The prophet's work

Samaria

Warning to Israel

The Cause of Israel’s Punishment

Footnotes

All the Tribes Are Guilty

Footnotes

Cross references

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Footnotes

Cross references

Amos 3's Chapter Tabs
Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.