Amos 3:6

3:6 If an alarm sounds ¹  in a city, do people not fear? ² 

If disaster overtakes a ³  city, is the Lord not responsible? ⁴ 

Amos 3:10

3:10 “They do not know how to do what is right.” (The Lord is speaking.)

“They store up ⁵  the spoils of destructive violence ⁶  in their fortresses.

Amos 5:2

5:2 “The virgin ⁷  Israel has fallen down and will not get up again.

She is abandoned on her own land

with no one to help her get up.” ⁸ 

Amos 6:6

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ⁹ 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ¹⁰ 

Yet they are not concerned over ¹¹  the ruin ¹²  of Joseph.

Amos 6:13

6:13 You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. ¹³ 

You say, “Did we not conquer Karnaim ¹⁴  by our own power?”

[3:6]  ¹ tn Heb “If the ram’s horn is blown.”

[3:6]  ² tn Or “tremble” (NASB, NIV, NCV); or “shake.”

[3:6]  ³ tn Heb “is in”; NIV, NCV, NLT “comes to.”

[3:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “has the Lord not acted?”

[3:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “those who.”

[3:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “violence and destruction.” The expression “violence and destruction” stand metonymically for the goods the oppressors have accumulated by their unjust actions.

[5:2]  ⁷ tn Or “young lady.” The term “Israel” is an appositional genitive.

[5:2]  ⁸ tn Or “with no one to lift her up.”

[6:6]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ¹¹ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ¹² sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[6:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “those who rejoice over Lo-Debar.”

[6:13]  sn Lo-Debar was located across the Jordan River in Gilead, which the Israelite army had conquered. However, there is stinging irony here, for in Hebrew the name Lo-Debar means “nothing.” In reality Israel was happy over nothing of lasting consequence.

[6:13]  ¹⁴ sn Karnaim was also located across the Jordan River. The name in Hebrew means “double horned.” Since an animal’s horn was a symbol of strength (see Deut 33:17), the Israelites boasted in this victory over a town whose very name symbolized military power.