Amos 3:1-4:5

New King James Version

Authority of the Prophet’s Message

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

²“You^(A) only have I known of all the families of the earth;
^(B)Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

³Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
⁴Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion ^[a]cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
⁵Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no ^[b]trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
⁶If a ^[c]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
^(C)If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

⁷Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless ^(D)He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
⁸A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
^(E)Who can but prophesy?

Punishment of Israel’s Sins

⁹“Proclaim in the palaces at ^[d]Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the ^[e]oppressed within her.
¹⁰For they ^(F)do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and ^[f]robbery in their palaces.’ ”

¹¹Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”

¹²Thus says the Lord:

“As a shepherd ^[g]takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and ^[h]on the edge of a couch!
¹³Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
¹⁴“That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of ^(G)Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
¹⁵I will ^[i]destroy ^(H)the winter house along with ^(I)the summer house;
The ^(J)houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the Lord.

God’s Punishments Have Not Reformed Israel

4 Hear this word, you ^(K)cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the ^(L)poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to ^[j]your husbands, “Bring wine, let us ^(M)drink!”
²^(N)The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away ^(O)with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
³^(P)You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will ^[k]be cast into Harmon,”
Says the Lord.

⁴“Come^(Q) to Bethel and transgress,
At ^(R)Gilgal multiply transgression;
^(S)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
^(T)Your tithes every three ^[l]days.
⁵^(U)Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce ^(V)the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord God.