The Prophet Amos

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- Chapter 3 -

Listen to the word which the Lord has spoken about you, sons of Israel, concerning the whole family that I led out of the land of Egypt, saying:

I have known only you in such a way, out of all the families of the earth. For this reason, I will visit upon you all your iniquities.(a)

Will two walk together, unless they have agreed to do so?

Will a lion roar in the forest, unless he has prey? Will the lion’s young cry out from his den, unless he has taken something?

Will a bird fall into a snare on the ground, if there is no bird-catcher? Will a snare be taken away from the ground, before it has caught something?

Will the trumpet sound in a city, and the people not become frightened? Will there be disaster in a city, which the Lord has not done?(b)

For the Lord God does not fulfill his word, unless he has revealed his secret to his servants the prophets.

The lion will roar, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who will not prophesy?

Let it be heard in the buildings of Ashdod and in the buildings of the land of Egypt, and say: Gather together across the mountains of Samaria, and see the many absurdities in its midst, and those who are suffering false accusations in its inner most places.

And they do not know how to make it right, says the Lord, storing up iniquity and plunder in their buildings.(c)

Because of these things, thus says the Lord God: The land will be encircled and squeezed together. And your strength will be drawn away from you, and your buildings will be torn apart.

Thus says the Lord: Just as if a shepherd had rescued two legs from the mouth of a lion, or the tip of an ear, so also will the sons of Israel be rescued, who dwell in the sick bed of Samaria, and in the cot of Damascus.(d)

Listen and give testimony in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God of hosts:(e)

that in the day, when I will begin to visit the betrayals of Israel, I will visit upon him and upon the altars of Bethel. And the horns of the altars will be cut off and will fall to the ground.

And I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and many buildings will be torn apart, says the Lord.

Footnotes

(a)3:2 Visit upon:That is, punish.(Challoner)

(b)3:6 Evil in a city:He speaks of the evil of punishments of war, famine, pestilence, desolation, etc., but not of the evil of sin, of which God is not the author.(Challoner)

(c)3:10 The word ‘rapinas’ can refer to robbery or rape, but in the context of storing something up, it refers to plunder, or ill-gotten gain.(Conte)

(d)3:12 Or, ‘so also will the sons of Israel, who dwell in Samaria, be rescued from the sick bed, and from the cot in Damascus.’ The phrase ‘plaga lectuli’ is somewhat idiomatic and is best translated as ‘sick bed,’ rather than as ‘in the misfortune of bed.’ The phrase ‘plaga lectuli’ in this context does not mean ‘region of beds.’(Conte)

(e)3:13 The word ‘exercituum’ is usually translated as ‘hosts,’ but the meaning is such that it could be translated as ‘armies.’(Conte)

Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying:

“I have only chosen you of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?

Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and the LORD hasn’t done it?

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see what unrest is in her, and what oppression is among them.”

“Indeed they don’t know to do right,” says the LORD, “Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces.”

Therefore the Lord GOD says: “An adversary will overrun the land; and he will pull down your strongholds, and your fortresses will be plundered.”

The LORD says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.”

“Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob,” says the Lord GOD, the God of Armies.

“For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground.

I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end,” says the LORD.