Amos 3 - 4 — Legacy Standard Bible

Yahweh Speaks Against Israel

3Hear this word which Yahweh has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire ¹^,^afamily which ²He brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

²“^aYou only have I known among all the families of the earth;Therefore I will ¹^,^bpunish you for all your iniquities.”³Do two men walk together unless they have made an ¹appointment?⁴Does a ^alion roar in the forest when it has no prey?Does a young lion give forth its voice from its den unless it has captured something?⁵Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no ¹bait in it?Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?⁶If a ^atrumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?If a ^bcalamity happens in a city has not Yahweh done it?⁷¹Surely Lord Yahweh does nothingUnless He ^areveals His secret counselTo His slaves the prophets.⁸A ^alion has roared! Who will not fear?^bLord Yahweh has spoken! ^cWho can but prophesy?

⁹Make it heard on the citadels in ^aAshdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Gather yourselves on the ^bmountains of Samaria and see the great confusions within her and the ^coppressions in her midst. ¹⁰“But they ^ado not know how to do what is right,” declares Yahweh, “these who ^bhoard up ¹violence and devastation in their citadels.”

¹¹Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “An ^aadversary, even one surrounding the land,Will pull down your ¹strength from you,And your ^bcitadels will be plundered.”

¹²Thus says Yahweh, “Just as the shepherd ^adelivers from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,So will the sons of Israel inhabiting Samaria be delivered—With the ^bcorner of a bed and the ¹^,^ccover of a couch!

¹³“Hear and ^atestify against the house of Jacob,”Declares Lord Yahweh, the God of hosts.¹⁴“For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,I will also punish the altars of ^aBethel;The horns of the altar will be cut in pieces,And they will fall to the ground.¹⁵“I will also strike the ¹^,^awinter house together with the ^bsummer house;The houses of ²^,^civory will also perish,And the ^dgreat houses will come to an end,”Declares Yahweh.

Yet You Have Not Returned to Me

4Hear this word, you cows of ^aBashan who are on the ^bmountain of Samaria,Who ^coppress the poor, who crush the needy,Who say to their ¹husbands, “Bring now, that we may ^ddrink!”²Lord Yahweh has ^asworn by His ^bholiness that,“Behold, the days are coming upon you,And ¹they will take you away with ^cmeat hooks,And the last of you with ^dfish hooks.³“And you will ^ago out through breaches in the walls,Each one straight before her,And you ¹will be cast to Harmon,” declares Yahweh.⁴“Enter Bethel and transgress;In Gilgal multiply transgression!^aBring your sacrifices every morning,Your tithes every three days.⁵“¹And offer a ^athank offering also from that which is leavened,And call for ^bfreewill offerings; cause them to be heard about.For so you ^clove to do, you sons of Israel,”Declares Lord Yahweh.⁶“But I gave you also ^acleanness of teeth in all your citiesAnd lack of bread in all your places,Yet you have ^bnot returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.⁷“And I also ^awithheld the rain from youWhile there were still three months until harvest.Then I would send rain on one city,And on ^banother city I would not send rain;One portion would be rained on,While the portion not rained on would dry up.⁸“So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink ^awater,But would ^bnot be satisfied;Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.⁹“I ^astruck you with scorching wind and mildew;And the ^bgnawing locust was devouringYour many gardens and vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees;Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.¹⁰“I sent a ^apestilence among you after the manner of Egypt;I ^bkilled your choice men by the sword along with your ^ccaptured horses,And I made the ^dstench of your camp rise up even in your nostrils;Yet you have ^enot returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.¹¹“I overthrew you as ^aGod overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,And you were like a ^bfirebrand ¹delivered from a blaze;Yet you have ^cnot returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.¹²“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;Because I will do this to you,Prepare to ^ameet your God, O Israel.”¹³For behold, He who ^aforms mountains and ^bcreates the windAnd ^cdeclares to man what are His thoughts,He who ^dmakes dawn into gloomAnd ^etreads on the high places of the earth,^fYahweh God of hosts is His name.