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Amos 3:1-5:17
English Standard Version
Amos 3:1-5:17
English Standard Version
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
3 (A)Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
2 (B)“You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
(C)therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3 “Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed to meet?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest,
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den,
if he has taken nothing?
5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth,
when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
when it has taken nothing?
6 (D)Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
(E)Does disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?
7 “For the Lord God does nothing
(F)without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
(G)The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?”
9 Proclaim to the strongholds in (H)Ashdod
and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on (I)the mountains of Samaria,
and see the great tumults within her,
and (J)the oppressed in her midst.”
10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord,
(K)“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
(L)“An adversary shall surround the land
and bring down[a] your defenses from you,
and (M)your strongholds shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the Lord: (N)“As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, (O)so shall the people of Israel (P)who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part[b] of a bed.
13 “Hear, (Q)and testify against the house of Jacob,”
declares the Lord God, (R)the God of hosts,
14 “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions,
(S)I will punish the altars of Bethel,
and (T)the horns of the altar shall be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 (U)I will strike (V)the winter house along with (W)the summer house,
and (X)the houses of ivory shall perish,
and the great houses[c] shall come to an end,”
declares the Lord.
4 “Hear this word, (Y)you cows of Bashan,
who are (Z)on the mountain of Samaria,
(AA)who oppress the poor, (AB)who crush the needy,
who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
2 (AC)The Lord God has sworn by his holiness
that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
(AD)when they shall take you away with hooks,
(AE)even the last of you with fishhooks.
3 (AF)And you shall go out through the breaches,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the Lord.
4 (AG)“Come to Bethel, and transgress;
to (AH)Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
(AI)bring your (AJ)sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of (AK)that which is leavened,
and proclaim (AL)freewill offerings, publish them;
(AM)for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God.
Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord
6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
and (AN)lack of bread in all your places,
(AO)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
7 “I also (AP)withheld the rain from you
when there were yet three months to the harvest;
(AQ)I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would have rain,
and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
8 so two or three cities (AR)would wander to another city
to drink water, and would not be satisfied;
(AS)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
9 (AT)“I struck you with blight and mildew;
your many gardens and your vineyards,
your fig trees and your olive trees (AU)the locust devoured;
(AV)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
10 “I sent among you a pestilence (AW)after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword,
and (AX)carried away your horses,[d]
and (AY)I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
(AZ)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
(BA)as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were (BB)as a brand[e] plucked out of the burning;
(BC)yet you did not return to me,”
declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold, (BD)he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,
and (BE)declares to man what is his thought,
(BF)who makes the morning darkness,
and (BG)treads on the heights of the earth—
(BH)the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!
Seek the Lord and Live
5 Hear this word that I (BI)take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2 “Fallen, no more to rise,
is (BJ)the virgin Israel;
forsaken on her land,
with none to raise her up.”
3 For thus says the Lord God:
“The city that went out a thousand
shall have a hundred left,
and that which went out a hundred
shall have ten left
to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
(BK)“Seek me and live;
5 but do not seek (BL)Bethel,
and do not enter into (BM)Gilgal
or cross over to (BN)Beersheba;
for (BO)Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and (BP)Bethel shall come to nothing.”
6 (BQ)Seek the Lord and live,
(BR)lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for (BS)Bethel,
7 O (BT)you who turn justice to wormwood[f]
and cast down righteousness to the earth!
8 He who made the (BU)Pleiades and Orion,
and turns deep darkness into the morning
and (BV)darkens the day into night,
who (BW)calls for the waters of the sea
(BX)and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
(BY)the Lord is his name;
9 (BZ)who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 (CA)They hate him who reproves (CB)in the gate,
and they (CC)abhor him who speaks the truth.
11 Therefore because you (CD)trample on[g] the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
(CE)you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
(CF)you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who (CG)take a bribe,
and (CH)turn aside the needy (CI)in the gate.
13 Therefore he who is prudent will (CJ)keep silent in such a time,
(CK)for it is an evil time.
14 (CL)Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, (CM)the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
15 (CN)Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice (CO)in the gate;
(CP)it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord, (CQ)the God of hosts, the Lord:
“In all the squares (CR)there shall be wailing,
and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmers to mourning
and (CS)to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
for (CT)I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 3:11 Hebrew An adversary, one who surrounds the land—he shall bring down
- Amos 3:12 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Amos 3:15 Or and many houses
- Amos 4:10 Hebrew along with the captivity of your horses
- Amos 4:11 That is, a burning stick
- Amos 5:7 Or to bitter fruit
- Amos 5:11 Or you tax
Amos 3:1-5:17
New International Version
Amos 3:1-5:17
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.”
13 He who forms the mountains,(BT)
who creates the wind,(BU)
and who reveals his thoughts(BV) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth(BW)—
the Lord God Almighty is his name.(BX)
A Lament and Call to Repentance
5 Hear this word, Israel, this lament(BY) I take up concerning you:
2 “Fallen is Virgin(BZ) Israel,
never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
with no one to lift her up.(CA)”
3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:
“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
will have only ten left.(CB)”
4 This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek(CC) me and live;(CD)
5 do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(CE)
do not journey to Beersheba.(CF)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[f](CG)”
6 Seek(CH) the Lord and live,(CI)
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;(CJ)
it will devour them,
and Bethel(CK) will have no one to quench it.(CL)
7 There are those who turn justice into bitterness(CM)
and cast righteousness(CN) to the ground.(CO)
8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,(CP)
who turns midnight into dawn(CQ)
and darkens day into night,(CR)
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.(CS)
9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
and brings the fortified city to ruin.(CT)
10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court(CU)
and detest the one who tells the truth.(CV)
11 You levy a straw tax on the poor(CW)
and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,(CX)
you will not live in them;(CY)
though you have planted lush vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.(CZ)
12 For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.(DA)
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes(DB)
and deprive the poor(DC) of justice in the courts.(DD)
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet(DE) in such times,
for the times are evil.(DF)
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.(DG)
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil,(DH) love good;(DI)
maintain justice in the courts.(DJ)
Perhaps(DK) the Lord God Almighty will have mercy(DL)
on the remnant(DM) of Joseph.
16 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:
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
- Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.