Shared Word Translation
Amos 3
You Only Have I Known
Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole clan that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You only have I known
from all the clans of the earth;
therefore I will attend to you
for all your guilt.
Does a Lion Roar without Prey?
Do two walk together
unless they have met?
Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion give its voice from its den
unless it has captured something?
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground
when there is no snare for it?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
when it has caught nothing?
If a ram’s horn is blown in a city,
do the people not tremble?
If disaster happens in a city,
has the LORD not done it?
For the Lord GOD does nothing
unless he reveals his counsel
to his servants the prophets.
A lion has roared—
who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken—
who can but prophesy?
Proclaim It over the Fortresses of Ashdod and Egypt
Proclaim over the fortresses in Ashdod
and over the fortresses in the land of Egypt,
and say:
“Gather yourselves
upon the mountains of Samaria
and see the great tumults within her
and the oppressed in her midst.”
They do not know how to do what is right,
says the LORD,
those who store up violence and devastation
in their fortresses.
An Adversary Will Surround the Land
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
An adversary will surround the land;
he will bring down your strength from you,
and your fortresses
will be plundered.
Thus says the LORD:
As the shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth
two legs
or a piece of an ear,
so the children of Israel will be rescued—
those who sit in Samaria
on the corner of a couch
and on a bed in Damascus.
The Altars of Bethel Will Be Cut Off
Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,
says the Lord GOD,
the God of Hosts.
For on the day I attend
to the transgressions of Israel,
I will attend to the altars of Bethel.
The horns of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
I will strike the winter house
together with the summer house.
The houses of ivory will perish,
and many houses will come to an end,
says the LORD.