Amos 3:1-8
New American Standard Bible
All the Tribes Are Guilty
3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [a](A)family which [b]He brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 “(B)You only have I [c]known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [d](C)punish you for all your wrongdoing.”
3 Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
4 Does a (D)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion [e]growl from his den unless he has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [f]device in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (E)trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble?
If a (F)disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?
7 [g]Certainly the Lord [h]God does nothing
Unless He (G)reveals His secret plan
To His servants the prophets.
8 A (H)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The (I)Lord God has spoken! (J)Who can do anything but prophesy?
Amos 3:1-8
International Standard Version
A Higher Standard of Accountability
3 “Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken about you, people of Israel. It concerns the entire family that I brought from the land of Egypt:
2 ‘You alone have I known from among all of the families of mankind;
therefore I will hold you accountable for all your iniquities.’”
Seven Questions to Ponder
3 “Will a couple walk in unity
without having met?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest
without having found its prey?
Will a young lion cry from its den
without having caught anything?
5 Does a bird fall into a snare on the ground
without any bait in the trap?
Will a trap snap shut
when there is nothing to catch?
6 And when an alarm[a] sounds in the city,
the people will tremble, won’t they?
If there is trouble in a city,
the Lord has brought it about, has he not?”
The Lord’s Purposes
7 “Truly the Lord God will do nothing he has mentioned
without revealing his purposes to his servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who will not prophesy?
Footnotes
- Amos 3:6 Lit. trumpet
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
