1 HEAR this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
5 Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
10 For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
12 Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth-el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.

1 Heare this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family, which I brought vp from the land of Egypt, saying;

2 You onely haue I knowen of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

3 Can two walke together, except they be agreed?

4 Will a lyon roare in the forrest, when he hath no pray? will a young lyon cry out of his den, if he haue taken nothing?

5 Can a bird fall in a snare vpon the earth, where no ginne is for him? shall one take vp a snare from the earth, and haue taken nothing at all?

6 Shall a trumpet be blowen in the citie, and the people not be afraid? shall there be euill in a citie, and the Lord hath not done it?

7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets.

8 The lyon hath roared, Who will not feare? the Lord God hath spoken, Who can but prophecie?

9 Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say; Assemble your selues vpon the mountaines of Samaria: and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

10 For they know not to doe right, saith the Lord; who store vp violence, and robberie in their palaces.

11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, An aduersarie there shall be euen round about the land: and he shal bring downe thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

12 Thus saith the Lord, As the shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the lyon two legges or a piece of an eare; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria, in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

13 Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hostes;

14 That in the day that I shall visite the transgressions of Israel vpon him, I will also visite the altars of Bethel, and the hornes of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of yuorie shall perish, and the great houses shall haue an end, saith the Lord.

II == Dan 9:12 ; Matt 11:22 ; Luke 12:47 ; Rom 2:9 ; 1st Peter 4:17

VI == Isa 45:7

VII == Gen 6:13 ; 18:17 ; Ps 25:14 ; John 15:15 ; Rev 10:7 ; 11:18

VIII == Amos 1:2 ; Acts 4:20 ; 5:20 , 29 ; 1st Cor 9:16

X == Jer 4:22

XV == Judg 3:20 ; 1st Kings 22:39 ; Jer 36:22

1. Hear this word, O men of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you, over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

2 You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your crimes.

3 Do two walk together unless they have agreed?

4 Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from its den unless it has seized something?

5 Is a bird brought to earth by a snare when there is no lure for it? Does a snare spring up from the ground without catching anything?

6 If the trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not be frightened? If evil befalls a city, has not the LORD caused it?

7 Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.

8 The lion roars -  who will not be afraid! The Lord GOD speaks -  who will not prophesy!

9 Proclaim this in the castles of Ashdod, in the castles of the land of Egypt: "Gather about the mountain of Samaria, and see the great disorders within her, the oppression in her midst."

10 For they know not how to do what is right, says the LORD, Storing up in their castles what they have extorted and robbed.

11 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: An enemy shall surround the land, and strip you of your strength, and pillage your castles,

12 Thus says the LORD: As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion a pair of legs or the tip of an ear of his sheep, So the Israelites who dwell in Samaria shall escape with the corner of a couch or a piece of a cot.

13 Hear and bear witness against the house of Jacob, says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts:

14 On the day when I punish Israel for his crimes, I will visit also the altars of Bethel: The horns of the altar shall be broken off and fall to the ground.

15 Then will I strike the winter house and the summer house; The ivory apartments shall be ruined, and their many rooms shall be no more, says the LORD.

v 1,2. This is addressed to all the tribes of Israel. They were the only people God had called out special, so their sin must receive His special punishment. VISIT UPON: That is punishment.

v 3. Amos gives seven rhetorical questions in which a second event does not happen unless preceded by a necessary first event. The first, two won’t walk together unless they have met and agreed to continue on together. (Unequal yoke, 2 Cor. 6:14)

v 4. 2, a lion won't roar unless he is attacking, 3, no prey it lies quiet 

v 5. 4, a bird can’t be caught if a trap hasn’t been set, 5, a trap doesn’t spring up unless something has triggered it.

v 6. People don’t fear unless a war trumpet has sounded in a city, then they do. Each of these is with increasing intensity until 7, disasters don’t come upon a city unless the Lord has designed it to bring about repentance of trust in Him. EVIL IN A CITY: He speaks of the evil of punishments of war, famine, pestilence desolation, etc, but not the evil of sin of which God is not the author. The sufferings which sinful man experiences through the permissive will of God are presented here, as elsewhere in the Old Testament, simply as caused by the Lord.

v 7,8. As the events above would not take place without a preceding event, the Lord will not act until He has revealed it by His prophets. Once the lion roars people need to fear, and once God has spoken, who cannot prophecy of coming judgment. Time after time, God’s major events, near or far off, were disclosed by prophets. Amos felt compelled to preach,

v 8; 7:15; Jer. 20:9.

v 9,10. Imaginary messengers were to summon foreigners to Samaria to see that the violence and corruption there was worse than in their own wicked countries. Israel's southern neighbors, beyond Judah, are invited by the prophetic orator to witness the moral disorders of God's people.

v 11, 12. The Lord would send plundering invaders so that those living in luxury would only see, by evidence which vindicated shepherds, that attack had happened

V 14: Bethel where Amos was speaking (7:13) It was 12 miles north of Jerusalem and was the religious center in the Northern Kingdom. This is where Jeroboam I set up the Golden Calf in II Kings 12:25-33 which still remained. (Hosea 13:2) This Idolatry degenerated center is where Amos came with the final warning.

v 13-15. The northern tribes are addressed here. God has been a warrior for them but now He will fight against them. Corrupt altars will be destroyed and there will be no hope for reprieve by grabbing the horns. Luxury from ill gotten gain will be destroyed.

V 15 IVORY APARTMENTS: rooms containing furniture inlaid in ivory, similar to the pieces discovered in the excavations at Samaria.