Study Desk

Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than you. I am going to destroy Israel, your mother.

The Lord says, "I am angry because the leaders of Judah have invaded Israel and stolen land from her. So I will pour out punishment on them like a flood.

But the Lord says, "Israel and Judah, what am I going to do with you? Your love for me disappears as quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day.

I hate the gold bull worshiped by the people of the city of Samaria. I am furious with them. How long will it be before they give up their idolatry?

But now I am going to gather them together and punish them. Soon they will writhe in pain when the emperor of Assyria oppresses them.

They offer sacrifices to me and eat the meat of the sacrifices. But I, the Lord , am not pleased with them, and now I will remember their sin and punish them for it; I will send them back to Egypt!

I will not punish you in my anger; I will not destroy Israel again. For I am God and not a mere human being. I, the Holy One, am with you. I will not come to you in anger.

The Lord says, "I am the Lord your God, who led you out of Egypt. You have no God but me. I alone am your savior.

The Lord says, "I will bring my people back to me. I will love them with all my heart; no longer am I angry with them.

The people of Israel will have nothing more to do with idols; I will answer their prayers and take care of them. Like an evergreen tree I will shelter them; I am the source of all their blessings."

He answered them: "Now I am going to give you grain and wine and olive oil, and you will be satisfied. Other nations will no longer despise you.

Then, Israel, you will know that I am among you and that I, the Lord , am your God and there is no other. My people will never be despised again.

Now I am going to bring them out of the places to which you have sold them. I will do to you what you have done to them.

"Then, Israel, you will know that I am the Lord your God. I live on Zion, my sacred hill. Jerusalem will be a sacred city; foreigners will never conquer it again.

"So then, people of Israel, I am going to punish you. And because I am going to do this, get ready to face my judgment!"

There will be wailing in all the vineyards. All this will take place because I am coming to punish you." The Lord has spoken.

The Lord God Almighty himself says, "People of Israel, I am going to send a foreign army to occupy your country. It will oppress you from Hamath Pass in the north to the Brook of the Arabah in the south."

He asked me, "Amos, what do you see?" "A plumb line," I answered. Then he said, "I am using it to show that my people are like a wall that is out of line. I will not change my mind again about punishing them.

Amos answered, "I am not the kind of prophet who prophesies for pay. I am a herdsman, and I take care of fig trees.

If they are taken away into captivity by their enemies, I will order them to be put to death. I am determined to destroy them, not to help them."