Amos 3:7

3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:5

3:5 Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait?

Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something?

Amos 3:4

3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey? ¹ 

Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?

Amos 5:5

5:5 Do not seek Bethel! ² 

Do not visit Gilgal!

Do not journey down ³  to Beer Sheba!

For the people of Gilgal ⁴  will certainly be carried into exile; ⁵ 

and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds.” ⁶ 

Amos 5:13

5:13 For this reason whoever is smart ⁷  keeps quiet ⁸  in such a time,

for it is an evil ⁹  time.

Amos 5:21

5:21 “I absolutely despise ¹⁰  your festivals!

I get no pleasure ¹¹  from your religious assemblies!

Amos 6:6

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ¹² 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ¹³ 

Yet they are not concerned over ¹⁴  the ruin ¹⁵  of Joseph.

Amos 9:10

9:10 All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –

the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

Amos 5:22

5:22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, ¹⁶  I will not be satisfied;

I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. ¹⁷ 

[3:4]  ¹ tn Heb “without having prey [or “food”].”

[5:5]  ¹ sn Ironically, Israel was to seek after the Lord, but not at Bethel (the name Bethel means “the house of God” in Hebrew).

[5:5]  ² tn Heb “cross over.”

[5:5]  ³ tn Heb “For Gilgal.” By metonymy the place name “Gilgal” is used instead of referring directly to the inhabitants. The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:5]  ⁴ tn In the Hebrew text the statement is emphasized by sound play. The name “Gilgal” sounds like the verb גָּלָה (galah, “to go into exile”), which occurs here in the infinitival + finite verb construction (גָּלֹה יִגְלֶה, galoh yigleh). The repetition of the “ג” (g) and “ל” (l) sounds draws attention to the announcement and suggests that Gilgal’s destiny is inherent in its very name.

[5:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “disaster,” or “nothing”; NIV “Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

[5:13]  ¹ tn Or “the wise”; or “the prudent.” Another option is to translate “the successful, prosperous” and understand this as a reference to the rich oppressors. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 169-70. In this case the following verb will also have a different nuance, that is, the wealthy remain silent before the abuses they perpetuate. See the note on the verb translated “keeps quiet” later in this verse.

[5:13]  ² tn Or “moans, laments,” from a homonymic verbal root. If the rich oppressors are in view, then the verb (whether translated “will be silenced” or “will lament”) describes the result of God’s judgment upon them. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.

[5:13]  ³ tn If this is a judgment announcement against the rich, then the Hebrew phrase עֵת רָעָה (’et ra’ah) must be translated, “[a] disastrous time.” See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.

[5:21]  ¹ tn Heb “I hate”; “I despise.”

[5:21]  ² tn Heb “I will not smell.” These verses are full of vivid descriptions of the Lord’s total rejection of Israelite worship. In the first half of this verse two verbs are used together for emphasis. Here the verb alludes to the sense of smell, a fitting observation since offerings would have been burned on the altar ideally to provide a sweet aroma to God (see, e.g., Lev 1:9, 13, 17; Num 29:36). Other senses that are mentioned include sight and hearing in vv. 22-23.

[6:6]  ¹ sn Perhaps some religious rite is in view, or the size of the bowls is emphasized (i.e., bowls as large as sacrificial bowls).

[6:6]  ² tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ³ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ⁴ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[5:22]  ¹ tn Heb “burnt offerings and your grain offerings.”

[5:22]  ² tn Heb “Peace offering[s], your fattened calves, I will not look at.”