Amos 8:11
New International Version
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

New Living Translation
“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD.

English Standard Version
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

King James Bible
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

New King James Version
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

NASB 1995
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

NASB 1977
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Behold, days are coming,” declares Lord Yahweh, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “When I will send hunger over the land, Not hunger for bread or a thirst for water, But rather [a hunger] for hearing the words of the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
Look, the days are coming — this is the declaration of the Lord GOD — when I will send a famine through the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Hear this! The days are coming— this is the declaration of the Lord GOD— when I will send a famine through the land: not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

American Standard Version
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
I, the LORD, also promise you a terrible shortage, but not of food and water. You will hunger and thirst to hear my message.

English Revised Version
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The days are going to come, declares the Almighty LORD, when I will send a famine throughout the land. It won't be an ordinary famine or drought. Instead, there will be a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

Good News Translation
"The time is coming when I will send famine on the land. People will be hungry, but not for bread; they will be thirsty, but not for water. They will hunger and thirst for a message from the LORD. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken.

International Standard Version
"Look! The days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine throughout the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water— but rather a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

Majority Standard Bible
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

NET Bible
Be certain of this, the time is 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!

New Heart English Bible
Look, the days come," says the LORD, "that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

World English Bible
Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Behold, days are coming,” "" A declaration of Lord YHWH, "" “And I have sent a famine into the land, "" Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, "" But of hearing the words of YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, days are coming, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And I have sent a famine into the land, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water But of hearing the words of Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Behold, the days coming, says the Lord Jehovah, and I sent famine into the land; not a famine for bread, and not a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send forth a famine into the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Behold, the days pass, says the Lord, and I will send a famine on the earth: not a famine of bread, nor of thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the Lord.

New American Bible
See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord GOD— when I will send a famine upon the land: Not a hunger for bread, or a thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
The time is surely coming, says the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the LORD;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Behold, days are coming, says LORD JEHOVAH, and I shall send a famine in the earth, not a hungering for bread and not a thirsting for water, but for hearing the word of LORD JEHOVAH
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, That I will send a famine in the land, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send forth a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Basket of Ripe Fruit
10I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day. 11Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.…

Cross References
Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

John 6:35
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.

John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

John 7:37-38
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Hebrews 5:12-14
Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! / For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. / But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. / So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Revelation 7:16
‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’

Isaiah 55:1-3
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! / Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. / Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.

Isaiah 29:10-12
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers. / And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” / Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”

Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

Ezekiel 7:26
Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, the days come, said the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

but.

1 Samuel 3:1
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

1 Samuel 28:6,15
And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets…

Psalm 74:9
We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

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Amos 8
1. By a basket of summer fruit is shown the approach of Israel's end.
4. Oppression is reproved.
11. A famine of the word of God threatened.














Behold
The Hebrew word for "behold" is "הִנֵּה" (hinneh), which serves as an attention-grabbing term, urging the listener to pay close attention to the forthcoming message. In the prophetic literature, "behold" often introduces a significant divine revelation or judgment. It is a call to awareness, emphasizing the seriousness and certainty of God's pronouncement.

the days are coming
This phrase is a prophetic formula indicating an imminent future event. It suggests a certainty and inevitability about what God is about to do. In the context of Amos, it points to a time of divine intervention and judgment. Historically, this would resonate with the Israelites who were familiar with the cycles of judgment and redemption in their history.

declares the Lord GOD
The phrase "declares the Lord GOD" underscores the authority and sovereignty of the message. The Hebrew "אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה" (Adonai Yahweh) combines the titles of Lord and God, emphasizing His supreme power and covenantal relationship with Israel. This declaration is not merely a prediction but a divine decree that will surely come to pass.

when I will send a famine on the land
The concept of famine in the ancient Near East was a dire threat, often seen as a direct consequence of divine displeasure. The Hebrew word for famine, "רָעָב" (ra'av), typically refers to a scarcity of food. However, this famine is metaphorical, indicating a deeper spiritual crisis. The land, representing the people of Israel, will experience a profound lack of spiritual nourishment.

not a famine of bread or a thirst for water
This clarifies the nature of the famine, distinguishing it from physical hunger and thirst. Bread and water are basic necessities for physical survival, and their absence would be catastrophic. By specifying that this is not a physical famine, the text highlights the severity of the spiritual deprivation that is to come.

but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD
The Hebrew word for "hearing," "שְׁמֹעַ" (shemoa), implies not just listening but understanding and obeying. The "words of the LORD" refer to divine revelation, guidance, and instruction. This famine signifies a withdrawal of God's communication, a silence that would leave the people without direction or hope. In a historical context, this would be devastating for a people whose identity and survival were tied to their covenant relationship with God. Theologically, it serves as a warning of the consequences of persistent disobedience and rejection of God's word.

Verse 11. - This shall be the bitterness at the end; they had rejected the warnings of the prophets (Amos 7:12, etc.); now the Word of God and the light of his teaching should fail them. Famine. When the light of God's revelation is withdrawn, their longing for the Word, however sore and great, shall remain unsatisfied, like that of Saul (1 Samuel 28:6). They may grieve like the psalmist, "We see not our signs; there is no more any prophet; neither is there among us any that knoweth how long" (Psalm 74:9); but it will be in vain (see a similar punishment threatened, Lamentations 2:9; Ezekiel 7:26; Micah 3:7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Behold!
הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

The days
יָמִ֣ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

are coming,”
בָּאִ֗ים (bā·’îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

declares
נְאֻם֙ (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD,
יְהוִ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

“when I will send
וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֥י (wə·hiš·laḥ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

a famine
רָעָ֖ב (rā·‘āḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

on the land—
בָּאָ֑רֶץ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

a famine
רָעָ֤ב (rā·‘āḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

of bread
לַלֶּ֙חֶם֙ (lal·le·ḥem)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

or a thirst
צָמָ֣א (ṣā·mā)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6772: Thirst

for water,
לַמַּ֔יִם (lam·ma·yim)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

but [a famine]
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

of hearing
לִשְׁמֹ֔עַ (liš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the words
דִּבְרֵ֥י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Amos 8:11 Behold the days come says the Lord (Amo. Am)
Amos 8:10
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