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Amos 3 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Amos 3 | New International Reader’s Version

The Lord calls for witnesses against Israel

1 People of Israel, listen to the LORD’s message. He has spoken his message against you. He has spoken it against the whole family he brought up out of Egypt. He says, 2 ‘Out of all the families on earth I have chosen only you. So I will punish you because you have committed so many sins.’ 3 Do two people walk together unless they’ve agreed to do so? 4 Does a lion roar in the bushes when it doesn’t have any food? Does it growl in its den when it hasn’t caught anything? 5 Does a bird fly down to a trap on the ground when no bait is there? Does a net spring up from the ground when it has not caught anything? 6 When someone blows a trumpet in a city, don’t the people tremble with fear? When trouble comes to a city, hasn’t the LORD caused it? 7 The LORD and King never does anything without telling his servants the prophets about it. 8 A lion has roared. Who isn’t afraid? The LORD and King has spoken. Who can do anything but prophesy? 9 Speak to the people in the forts of Ashdod and Egypt. Tell them, ‘Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. Look at the great trouble in that city. Its people are committing many crimes.’ 10 ‘They do not know how to do what is right,’ announces the LORD. ‘They store up stolen goods in their forts.’ 11 So the LORD and King says, ‘Enemies will take over your land. They will pull down your places of safety. They will rob your forts.’ 12 The LORD says, ‘Suppose a shepherd saves only two leg bones from a lion’s mouth. Or he might save only a piece of an ear. That is how the Israelites living in Samaria will be saved. They will only have a board from a bed and a piece of cloth from a couch.’ 13 ‘Listen to me,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be a witness against the people of Jacob,’ says the LORD God who rules over all. 14 ‘I will punish Israel for their sins. When I do, I will destroy their altars at Bethel. The horns that stick out from the upper corners of their main altar will be cut off. They will fall to the ground. 15 I will tear down their winter houses. I will also pull down their summer houses. The houses they have decorated with ivory will be destroyed. And their princely houses will be torn down,’ announces the LORD.

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English Standard Version

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing? 5 Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing? 6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it? 7 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” 9 Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her, and the oppressed in her midst.” 10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall surround the land and bring down* your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the Lord: “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part* of a bed. 13 “Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord God, the God of hosts, 14 “that on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses* shall come to an end,” declares the Lord.