Amos 3:14 (KJV)

Passage

That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

Nearby Context

Amos 3:12 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.

Amos 3:13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,

Amos 3:14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

Amos 3:15 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "transgressions", "shall", "visit", "israel", "upon", "altars", and "bethel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "transgressions" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Hear ye and testify in the house..." into verse 15's "And I will smite the winter house...", so "transgressions" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "transgressions" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.