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Amos 3-4
New Life Version
Amos 3-4
New Life Version
Word from the Man of God
3 O people of Israel, hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you and against the whole family which He brought up from the land of Egypt. 2 “You are the only ones I have chosen among all the families of the earth. So I must punish you for all your sins.” 3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an agreement? 4 Does a lion make noise among the trees when he has no food? Does a young lion cry out from his home if he has not caught anything? 5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no food to tempt it? Does a trap jump up from the ground when it does not catch anything? 6 Are not the people afraid when a horn is blown in a city? When trouble comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? 7 For sure the Lord does not do anything without making His plan known to His servants who speak for Him. 8 The lion has made a noise! Who will not be afraid? The Lord God has spoken! Who can keep from speaking His Word?
Israel Will Be Punished for Its Sin
9 Say to the people who live in the strong cities of Ashdod and Egypt, “Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. See all the trouble within her and how her people suffer. 10 They do not know how to do what is right,” says the Lord. “They store up in their strong cities what they have fought for and robbed.”
11 So the Lord God says, “Those who hate you will gather around the land. They will pull down your strong-places and rob your strong cities.” 12 The Lord says, “As the shepherd saves from the lion’s mouth just two legs or a piece of an ear, so will the people of Israel living in Samaria be saved, with the corner of a bed and a part of a cover. 13 Hear and speak against the family of Jacob,” says the Lord God, the God of All. 14 “On the day I punish Israel for her sins, I will punish the altars of Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy the winter house together with the summer house. The houses of ivory will be destroyed, and the beautiful houses will come to an end,” says the Lord.
4 Listen to this, you fat cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria. You make it hard for the poor. You crush those in need. You say to your husbands, “Bring us something to drink!” 2 As the Lord God is holy, He has promised, “The days are coming when they will take you away with meat hooks. And the last of you will be taken with fish hooks. 3 You will go out through breaks in the walls. Each of you will go straight out. And you will be sent to Harmon,” says the Lord.
4 “Go to Bethel and sin! Go and sin much more in Gilgal! Bring your gifts in worship every morning. Every three days give a tenth part of what you receive. 5 Give a thank gift of bread made with yeast. And make your free-will gifts known. For this is what you love to do, O people of Israel,” says the Lord God.
Israel Did Not Learn
6 “I kept food from your teeth in all your cities. I did not let you have enough bread in all your places. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. 7 “I kept the rain from you while there were still three months until gathering time. Then I would send rain on one city, but would send no rain on another city. One part would receive rain, while the part which did not receive rain would dry up. 8 People would go from city to city to drink water, but would not get enough. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. 9 “I sent hot wind to dry up your fields. The locust destroyed your many gardens and grape-fields, fig trees and olive trees. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. 10 “I sent a very bad disease upon you as I had done to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword and took your horses away. I filled your nose with the bad smell of your camp. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. 11 “I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick pulled out of the fire. Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord. 12 “So I will do this to you, O Israel. And because I will do this to you, get ready to meet your God, O Israel.” 13 He is the One Who makes the mountains and the wind. He makes His thoughts known to man. He turns the morning into darkness, and walks on the high places of the earth. The Lord God of All is His name.
Amos 3-4
New International Version
Amos 3-4
New International Version
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)
Israel Has Not Returned to God
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan(AI) on Mount Samaria,(AJ)
you women who oppress the poor(AK) and crush the needy(AL)
and say to your husbands,(AM) “Bring us some drinks!(AN)”
2 The Sovereign Lord has sworn by his holiness:
“The time(AO) will surely come
when you will be taken away(AP) with hooks,(AQ)
the last of you with fishhooks.[c]
3 You will each go straight out
through breaches in the wall,(AR)
and you will be cast out toward Harmon,[d]”
declares the Lord.
4 “Go to Bethel(AS) and sin;
go to Gilgal(AT) and sin yet more.
Bring your sacrifices every morning,(AU)
your tithes(AV) every three years.[e](AW)
5 Burn leavened bread(AX) as a thank offering
and brag about your freewill offerings(AY)—
boast about them, you Israelites,
for this is what you love to do,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.
6 “I gave you empty stomachs in every city
and lack of bread in every town,
yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(AZ)
7 “I also withheld(BA) rain from you
when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
but withheld it from another.(BB)
One field had rain;
another had none and dried up.
8 People staggered from town to town for water(BC)
but did not get enough(BD) to drink,
yet you have not returned(BE) to me,”
declares the Lord.(BF)
9 “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
destroying them with blight and mildew.(BG)
Locusts(BH) devoured your fig and olive trees,(BI)
yet you have not returned(BJ) to me,”
declares the Lord.
10 “I sent plagues(BK) among you
as I did to Egypt.(BL)
I killed your young men(BM) with the sword,
along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench(BN) of your camps,
yet you have not returned to me,”(BO)
declares the Lord.(BP)
11 “I overthrew some of you
as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.(BQ)
You were like a burning stick(BR) snatched from the fire,
yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.(BS)
12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
and because I will do this to you, Israel,
prepare to meet your God.”
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.
- Amos 4:2 Or away in baskets, / the last of you in fish baskets
- Amos 4:3 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew (see Septuagint) out, you mountain of oppression
- Amos 4:4 Or days
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