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Amos 3
Common English Bible
Amos 3
Common English Bible
Words of doom for Israel
3 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought out of the land of Egypt:
2 You only have I loved so deeply
of all the families of the earth.
Therefore, I will punish you
for all your wrongdoing.
3 Will two people walk together
unless they have agreed to do so?[a]
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
if it has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a trap on the ground
when there is no bait for it?
Will a trap spring up from the ground
when it has taken nothing?
6 If a ram’s horn is blown in a city,
won’t people tremble?
If disaster falls on a city,
is it the Lord who has done it?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared;
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?
9 Proclaim it to the palaces of Ashdod
and to the palaces in the land of Egypt.
Say, “Gather yourselves on Mount Samaria,
and see the great turmoil in the city,
and what violent deeds are inside it.”
10 They don’t know how to do right,
says the Lord—
those who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
11 Therefore, the Lord my God proclaims:
An enemy will surround the land;
he will bring you down from your protected places,
and your palaces will be robbed.
12 The Lord proclaims:
Just as the shepherd rescues two legs or the piece of an ear from the mouth of the lion, so will the people of Israel be rescued. Those who live in Samaria will escape with the corner of a bed, and those in Damascus with a piece of a couch.[b]
13 Hear this and speak against the house of Jacob,
says the Lord God, the God of heavenly forces:
14 On the day I punish the crimes of Israel,
I will also visit the altars of Bethel;
the horns of the altar will be cut off
and will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house as well as the summer house;
the houses of ivory will perish;
the great houses will be swept away,
says the Lord.
Amos 3
Good News Translation
Amos 3
Good News Translation
3 People of Israel, listen to this message which the Lord has spoken about you, the entire nation that he brought out of Egypt: 2 “Of all the nations on earth, you are the only one I have known and cared for. That is what makes your sins so terrible, and that is why I must punish you for them.”
The Prophet's Task
3 Do two people start traveling together without arranging to meet?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest unless he has found a victim?
Does a young lion growl in his den unless he has caught something?
5 Does a bird get caught in a trap if the trap has not been baited?
Does a trap spring unless something sets it off?
6 Does the war trumpet sound in a city without making the people afraid?
Does disaster strike a city unless the Lord sends it?
7 The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.
8 When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid?
When the Sovereign Lord speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message?
The Doom of Samaria
9 Announce to those who live in the palaces of Egypt and Ashdod: “Gather together in the hills around Samaria and see the great disorder and the crimes being committed there.”
10 The Lord says, “These people fill their mansions with things taken by crime and violence. They don't even know how to be honest. 11 And so an enemy will surround their land, destroy their defenses, and plunder their mansions.”
12 The Lord says, “As a shepherd recovers only two legs or an ear of a sheep that a lion has eaten, so only a few will survive of Samaria's people, who now recline on luxurious couches.[a] 13 Listen now, and warn the descendants of Jacob,” says the Sovereign Lord Almighty. 14 (A)“On the day when I punish the people of Israel for their sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel. The corners of every altar will be broken off and will fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy winter houses and summer houses. The houses decorated with ivory will fall in ruins; every large house will be destroyed.”
Footnotes
- Amos 3:12 luxurious couches; Hebrew unclear.
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)
Amos 3
New King James Version
Amos 3
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.”
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will 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?
5 Will 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?
6 If 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?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless (D)He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A 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.
10 For they (F)do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and [f]robbery in their palaces.’ ”
11 Therefore 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.”
12 Thus 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!
13 Hear 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.
15 I 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.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.