Amos 3
Names of God Bible
The Lord Will Punish Israel for Its Immoral Behavior
3 Listen to this message which I, Yahweh, have spoken against you Israelites, against your whole family that I brought out of Egypt.
2 Out of all the families on earth, I have known no one else but you.
That is why I am going to punish you for all your sins.
3 Do two people ever walk together without meeting first?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest if it has no prey?
Does a young lion growl in its den unless it has caught something?
5 Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there’s no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has caught something?
6 If a ram’s horn sounds an alarm in a city, won’t the people be alarmed?
If there is a disaster in a city, hasn’t Yahweh done it?
7 Certainly, Adonay Yahweh doesn’t do anything
unless he first reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion has roared. Who isn’t afraid?
Adonay Yahweh has spoken. Who can keep from prophesying?
9 Announce in the palaces of Ashdod and in the palaces of Egypt,
“Gather together on the mountains of Samaria.
See the widespread confusion and oppression in Samaria.”
10 Those who collect profits in their palaces
through violent and destructive acts
don’t know how to do what is right, declares Yahweh.
11 This is what Adonay Yahweh says:
An enemy will surround your land,
strip you of your defenses,
and loot your palaces.
12 This is what Yahweh says:
As a shepherd rescues two legs or a piece of an ear out of a lion’s mouth,
so the Israelites living in Samaria will be rescued,
having only a corner of a bed or a piece of a couch.[a]
13 Listen, and testify against the descendants of Jacob,
declares Adonay Yahweh Elohe Tsebaoth.
14 On the day I punish Israel for its disobedience,
I will also destroy the altars at Bethel.
The horns of the altar will be cut off and will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down winter houses as well as summer houses.
Houses decorated with ivory will be destroyed.
Mansions will be demolished, declares Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Amos 3:12 Or “a couch of Damascus.”
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.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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.
