Study Desk

The words of Amos, who was among the ^(C1)sheepherders from ^(C2)Tekoa, which he saw in visions concerning Israel in the days of ^(C3)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of ^(C4)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the ^(C5)earthquake.

And he said, "The ^(C1)LORD roars from Zion, And from Jerusalem He utters His voice; And the shepherds' ^(C2)pasture grounds mourn, And the ^(F1)(C3)summit of Carmel dries up."

This is what the LORD says: "For ^(C1)three offenses of ^(C2)Damascus, and for four, I will not ^(F1)revoke its punishment, Because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.

-"So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael, And it will consume the citadels of ^(C1)Ben-hadad.

-"I will also ^(C1)break the gate bar of Damascus, And eliminate every inhabitant from the ^(F1)Valley of Aven, As well as him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden; So the people of Aram will be exiled to ^(C2)Kir," Says the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because they led into exile an entire population To ^(C2)turn them over to Edom.

-"So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza And it will consume her citadels.

-"I will also eliminate every inhabitant from ^(C1)Ashdod, As well as him who holds the scepter, from ^(C2)Ashkelon; And I will direct My ^(F1)power against Ekron, And the remnant of the ^(C3)Philistines will perish," Says the Lord ^(F2)GOD.

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because they turned an entire population over to Edom And did not remember the covenant of ^(F1)(C2)brotherhood.

-"So I will ^(C1)send fire on the wall of Tyre, And it will consume her citadels."

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Edom, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because he ^(C2)pursued his brother with the sword And stifled his compassion; His anger also ^(C3)tore continually, And he maintained his fury forever.

-"So I will send fire upon ^(C1)Teman And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah."

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of the sons of ^(C1)Ammon, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ^(C2)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead In order to ^(C3)enlarge their borders.

-"So I will kindle a fire on the wall of ^(C1)Rabbah, And it will consume her citadels Amid ^(F1)(C2)war cries on the day of battle, And amid a ^(C3)storm on the day of tempest.

-"Their ^(C1)king will go into exile, He and his princes together," says the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Moab, and for four, I will not ^(F1)revoke its punishment, Because he ^(C2)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.

-"So I will send fire upon Moab And it will consume the citadels of ^(C1)Kerioth; And Moab will die amid the ^(C2)panic of battle, Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.

-"I will also eliminate the ^(F1)(C1)judge from her midst And slay all her ^(C2)leaders with him," says the LORD.

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Judah, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ^(C2)rejected the Law of the LORD And have not kept His statutes; Their ^(F1)(C3)lies also have led them astray, Those which their ^(C4)fathers followed.

-"So I will ^(C1)send fire upon Judah, And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem."

This is what the LORD says: "For three offenses of ^(C1)Israel, and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, Because they ^(C2)sell the righteous for ^(F1)money, And the needy for a pair of sandals.

-"These who ^(F1)trample the head of the ^(C1)helpless to the dust of the earth Also ^(C2)divert the way of the humble; And a ^(C3)man and his father ^(F2)resort to the same ^(F3)girl So as to profane My holy name.

-"And on garments ^(C1)seized as pledges they stretch out beside ^(C2)every altar, And in the house of their God they ^(C3)drink the wine of those who have been fined.

"Yet it was I who destroyed the ^(C1)Amorite before them, ^(F1)Though his ^(C2)height was like the height of cedars And he was as strong as the oaks; I also destroyed his ^(C3)fruit above and his roots below.

-"And it was I who ^(C1)brought you up from the land of Egypt, And led you in the wilderness for ^(C2)forty years So that you might take possession of the land of the ^(C3)Amorite.

-"Then I ^(C1)raised up some of your sons to be prophets, And some of your young men to be ^(C2)Nazirites. Is this not so, you sons of Israel?" declares the LORD.

"But you made the Nazirites drink wine, And you commanded the prophets, saying, 'You ^(C1)shall not prophesy!'

-"Behold, I am ^(C1)making a rut in the ground beneath you, Just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.

-"^(C1)Refuge will be lost from the swift, And the strong will not strengthen his power, Nor the ^(C2)warrior save his ^(F1)life.

-"The one who ^(C1)grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will the one who rides the ^(C2)horse save his ^(F1)life.

-"Even the ^(F1)bravest among the warriors will ^(C1)flee naked on that day," declares the LORD.

Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire ^(F1)(C1)family which ^(F2)He brought up from the land of Egypt:

"^(C1)You only have I ^(F1)known among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will ^(F2)(C2)punish you for all your wrongdoing."

Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?

Does a ^(C1)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion ^(F1)growl from his den unless he has captured something?

Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no ^(F1)device in it? Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

If a ^(C1)trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble? If a ^(C2)disaster occurs in a city, has the LORD not brought it about?

^(F1)Certainly the Lord ^(F2)GOD does nothing Unless He ^(C1)reveals His secret plan To His servants the prophets.

A ^(C1)lion has roared! Who will not fear? The ^(C2)Lord GOD has spoken! ^(C3)Who can do anything but prophesy?

Proclaim on the citadels in ^(C1)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, "Assemble yourselves on the ^(C2)mountains of Samaria and see the great panic within her and the ^(C3)oppressions in her midst.

"But they ^(C1)do not know how to do what is right," declares the LORD, "these who ^(C2)store up ^(F1)violence and devastation in their citadels."

Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: "An ^(C1)enemy, one surrounding the land, Will take down your fortifications from you, And your ^(C2)citadels will be looted."

This is what the LORD says: "Just as the shepherd ^(F1)(C1)snatches from the lion's mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, So will the sons of Israel living in Samaria be ^(F2)snatched away— With the ^(C2)corner of a bed and the ^(F3)(C3)cover of a couch!

-"Hear and ^(C1)testify against the house of Jacob," Declares the Lord GOD, the God of armies.

"For on the day that I punish Israel's offenses, I will also punish the altars of ^(C1)Bethel; The horns of the altar will be cut off, And will fall to the ground.

-"I will also strike the ^(C1)winter house together with the ^(C2)summer house; The houses of ^(F1)(C3)ivory will also perish, And the ^(C4)great houses will come to an end," Declares the LORD.

Hear this word, you ^(F1)cows of ^(C1)Bashan who are on the ^(C2)mountain of Samaria, Who ^(C3)exploit the poor, who oppress the needy, ^(F2)And say to their ^(F3)husbands, "Bring now, that we may ^(C4)drink!"

The Lord ^(F1)GOD has ^(C1)sworn by His ^(C2)holiness, "For behold, the days are coming upon you When ^(F2)they will take you away with ^(C3)meat hooks, And the last of you with ^(C4)fish hooks.

-"You will ^(C1)go out through holes in the walls, One in front of the other, And you ^(F1)will be hurled to Harmon," declares the LORD.

"Enter Bethel and do wrong; In Gilgal multiply wrongdoing! ^(C1)Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.

-"^(F1)Offer a ^(C1)thanksgiving offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim ^(C2)(F2)voluntary offerings, make them known. For so you ^(C3)love to do, you sons of Israel," Declares the Lord GOD.

"But I gave you also ^(C1)cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have ^(C2)not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

"Furthermore, I ^(C1)withheld the rain from you While there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city, But on ^(C2)another city I would not send rain; One part would be rained on, While the part not rained on would dry up.

-"So the people of two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink ^(C1)water, But would ^(C2)not be satisfied; Yet you have ^(C3)not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

"I ^(C1)struck you with scorching wind and mildew; The ^(C2)caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have ^(C3)not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

"I sent a ^(C1)plague among you ^(F1)as in Egypt; I ^(C2)killed your young men with the sword, along with your ^(C3)captured horses, And I made the ^(C4)stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have ^(C5)not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

"I overthrew you, as ^(C1)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a ^(C2)log snatched from a fire; Yet you have ^(C3)not returned to Me," declares the LORD.

"Therefore so I will do to you, Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to ^(C1)meet your God, Israel."

For behold, He who ^(C1)forms mountains and ^(C2)creates the wind, And ^(C3)declares to a person what are His thoughts, He who ^(C4)makes dawn into darkness And ^(C5)treads on the high places of the earth, ^(C6)The LORD God of armies is His name.