Amos 3

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

The Lord addresses the children of Israel, stating that because He has known them alone among all families, He will punish them for their iniquities. Using a series of rhetorical questions, the text compares cause and effect, noting that the Lord GOD reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. He then calls upon the citadels of Ashdod and Egypt to assemble on the mountains of Samaria to witness the unrest and oppression within the city. Consequently, the Lord declares that an adversary will surround the land, destroy its strongholds, and plunder its citadels, leaving only a meager remnant comparable to a shepherd rescuing mere fragments from a lion's mouth. Finally, the Lord announces the destruction of the altars of Bethel, along with the winter houses, summer houses, and houses of ivory.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: ²“Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” ³Can two walk together without agreeing where to go? ⁴Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing? ⁵Does a bird land in a snare where no bait has been set? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has nothing to catch? ⁶If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? ⁷Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets. ⁸The lion has roared— who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken— who will not prophesy? ⁹Proclaim to the citadels of Ashdod and to the citadels of Egypt: “Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest in the city and the acts of oppression in her midst.” ¹⁰“For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.” ¹¹Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “An enemy will surround the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your citadels.” ¹²This is what the LORD says: “As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued having just the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch. ¹³Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, declares the Lord GOD, the God of Hosts. ¹⁴On the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground. ¹⁵I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,” declares the LORD.