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Amos 3
New Catholic Bible
Amos 3
New Catholic Bible
Charges against Israel
Chapter 3
The First Word. 1 O men of Israel, hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
2 Of all the families of the earth,
you alone have I favored.
That is why I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
The Lord Speaks: Who Would Not Prophesy?
3 Do two people travel together
unless they have first agreed to do so?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has caught something?
5 Does a bird fall into a snare on the earth
unless a trap has been set for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
unless something has been caught in it?
6 Are people not alarmed
if a trumpet sounds in the city?
If disaster strikes a city,
can that occur without the approval of the Lord?[a]
7 Indeed, the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.
8 The lion roars;
who will not be frightened?
The Lord God has spoken;
who will not prophesy?
Violence and Pillage in Their Palace
9 Proclaim this from the
palaces of Ashdod
and from the palaces of the land of Egypt:
“Assemble on the hills of Samaria
and observe the great disorders there,
as well as the oppression in her midst.”
10 For they do not know how to do what is right,
says the Lord,
as they store up in their palaces
their ill-gotten gains from violence and robbery.
11 Therefore, this is what the Lord God has to say:
An enemy shall surround your land;
he will tear down your strongholds
and pillage your palaces.
12 The Lord says further:
As the shepherd rescues from the jaws of a lion
two legs or the tip of an ear,
so will the Israelites who live in Samaria be rescued
with the corner of a couch or the edge of a cot.
I Will Deal with the Altars of Bethel
13 Listen and testify against the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts:
14 On the day when I punish Israel for its crimes,
I will also deal with the altars of Bethel:
the horns of the altar shall be hacked off
and fall to the ground.
15 I shall destroy the winter house
as well as the summer house.
The houses of ivory will perish,
and many mansions will be no more,
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 3:6 The sufferings experienced by sinners through the permissive will of God are, according to the Old Testament understanding, attributed to the Lord.
Amos 3
New International Version
Amos 3
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)
New International Version (NIV) 
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