Amos 4:6

4:6 “But surely I gave ¹  you no food to eat in any of your cities;

you lacked food everywhere you live. ² 

Still you did not come back to me.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 7:12

7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! ³  Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living ⁴  and prophesy there!

Amos 8:11

8:11 Be certain of this, ⁵  the time is ⁶  coming,” says the sovereign Lord,

“when I will send a famine through the land –

not a shortage of food or water

but an end to divine revelation! ⁷ 

[4:6]  ¹ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic (pronoun + verb). It underscores the stark contrast between the judgments that the Lord had been sending with the God of blessing Israel was celebrating in its worship (4:4-5).

[4:6]  ² tn Heb “But I gave to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of food in all your places.” The phrase “cleanness of teeth” is a vivid way of picturing the famine Israel experienced.

[7:12]  ³ tn Traditionally, “seer.” The word is a synonym for “prophet,” though it may carry a derogatory tone on the lips of Amaziah.

[7:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “Eat bread there.”

[8:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[8:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the days are.”

[8:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “not a hunger for food or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord.”