Amos 3–4

Chapter 3

All the Tribes Are Guilty

¹Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire ^1afamily which ²He brought up from the land of Egypt:

²“^aYou only have I ¹chosen among all the families of the earth;

Therefore I will ^2bpunish you for all your iniquities.”

³Do two men walk together unless they have made an ¹appointment?

⁴Does a ^alion roar in the forest when he has no prey?

Does a young lion ¹growl from his den unless he has captured something?

⁵Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no ¹bait in it?

Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

⁶If a ^atrumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?

If a ^bcalamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

⁷¹Surely the Lord ²God does nothing

Unless He ^areveals His secret counsel

To His servants the prophets.

⁸A ^alion has roared! Who will not fear?

The ^bLord ¹God has spoken! ^cWho can but prophesy?

⁹Proclaim on the citadels in ^aAshdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the ^bmountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the ^coppressions in her midst.

¹⁰“But they ^ado not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who ^bhoard up ¹violence and devastation in their citadels.”

¹¹Therefore, thus says the Lord God,

“An ^aenemy, even one surrounding the land,

Will pull down your ¹strength from you

And your ^bcitadels will be looted.”

¹²Thus says the Lord,

“Just as the shepherd ^1asnatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,

So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be ²snatched away—

With the ^bcorner of a bed and the ^3ccover of a couch!

¹³“Hear and ^atestify against the house of Jacob,”

Declares the Lord God, the God of hosts.

¹⁴“For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,

I will also punish the altars of ^aBethel;

The horns of the altar will be cut off

And they will fall to the ground.

¹⁵“I will also smite the ^1awinter house together with the ^bsummer house;

The houses of ^2civory will also perish

And the ^dgreat houses will come to an end,”

Declares the Lord.

Chapter 4

“Yet You Have Not Returned to Me”

¹Hear this word, you cows of ^aBashan who are on the ^bmountain of Samaria,

Who ^coppress the poor, who crush the needy,

Who say to ¹your husbands, “Bring now, that we may ^ddrink!”

²The Lord ¹God has ^asworn by His ^bholiness,

“Behold, the days are coming upon you

When ²they will take you away with ^cmeat hooks,

And the last of you with ^dfish hooks.

³“You will ^ago out through breaches in the walls,

Each one straight before her,

And you ¹will be cast to Harmon,” declares the Lord.

⁴“Enter Bethel and transgress;

In Gilgal multiply transgression!

^aBring your sacrifices every morning,

Your tithes every three days.

⁵“¹Offer a ^athank offering also from that which is leavened,

And proclaim ^bfreewill offerings, make them known.

For so you ^clove to do, you sons of Israel,”

Declares the Lord God.

⁶“But I gave you also ^acleanness of teeth in all your cities

And lack of bread in all your places,

Yet you have ^bnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

⁷“Furthermore, I ^awithheld the rain from you

While there were still three months until harvest.

Then I would send rain on one city

And on ^banother city I would not send rain;

One part would be rained on,

While the part not rained on would dry up.

⁸“So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink ^awater,

But would ^bnot be satisfied;

Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

⁹“I ^asmote you with scorching wind and mildew;

And the ^bcaterpillar was devouring

Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;

Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

¹⁰“I sent a ^aplague among you after the manner of Egypt;

I ^bslew your young men by the sword along with your ^ccaptured horses,

And I made the ^dstench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;

Yet you have ^enot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

¹¹“I overthrew you, as ^aGod overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

And you were like a ^bfirebrand snatched from a blaze;

Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

¹²“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;

Because I will do this to you,

Prepare to ^ameet your God, O Israel.”

¹³For behold, He who ^aforms mountains and ^bcreates the wind

And ^cdeclares to man what are His thoughts,

He who ^dmakes dawn into darkness

And ^etreads on the high places of the earth,

^fThe Lord God of hosts is His name.