Amos 3
1 Listen to the word which the Lord has spoken about you, sons of Israel, concerning the whole family that I led out of the land of Egypt, saying:
Listen to this message, Israelites, which the Lord has spoken against you, against the whole nation that I brought out of Egypt:
2 I have known only you in such a way, out of all the families of the earth. For this reason, I will visit upon you all your iniquities.
You alone have I cared for of all the nations of the world, this is why I will punish you for your crimes.
3 Will two walk together, unless they have agreed to do so?
Do two walk together unless they agreed to meet?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, unless he has prey? Will the lion’s young cry out from his den, unless he has taken something?
Does a lion roar in the forest when there is no prey for him? Does a young lion cry out in his den unless he has caught something?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the ground, if there is no bird-catcher? Will a snare be taken away from the ground, before it has caught something?
Does a bird swoop down into a trap if no bait is set for it? Does a trap spring up from the ground if nothing sets it off?
6 Will the trumpet sound in a city, and the people not become frightened? Will there be disaster in a city, which the Lord has not done?
Can a trumpet be blown in a city and the people not tremble? Can disaster strike a city and the Lord not have caused it?
7 For the Lord God does not fulfill his word, unless he has revealed his secret to his servants the prophets.
Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his purpose to his servants the prophets.
8 The lion will roar, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who will not prophesy?
The lion has roared; who does not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?
9 Let it be heard in the buildings of Ashdod and in the buildings of the land of Egypt, and say: Gather together across the mountains of Samaria, and see the many absurdities in its midst, and those who are suffering false accusations in its inner most places.
Proclaim over the palaces in Ashdod, and over the palaces in the land of Egypt: Gather upon the mountain of Samaria, and see the violent turmoil, the acts of oppression in her midst.
10 And they do not know how to make it right, says the Lord, storing up iniquity and plunder in their buildings.
For they do not know how to do right. They are heaping up violence and oppression in their palaces, says the Lord.
11 Because of these things, thus says the Lord God: The land will be encircled and squeezed together. And your strength will be drawn away from you, and your buildings will be torn apart.
Therefore the Lord God says: An enemy will surround the land, he will strip your strength from you. and your palaces will be looted.
12 Thus says the Lord: Just as if a shepherd had rescued two legs from the mouth of a lion, or the tip of an ear, so also will the sons of Israel be rescued, who dwell in the sick bed of Samaria, and in the cot of Damascus.
The Lord says: Just as a shepherd rescues from the jaws of a lion two shinbones or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites living in Sameria will be rescued – with the corner of a couch, and the damask of a divan!
13 Listen and give testimony in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God of hosts:
Listen and testify against the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts.
14 that in the day, when I will begin to visit the betrayals of Israel, I will visit upon him and upon the altars of Bethel. And the horns of the altars will be cut off and will fall to the ground.
On the day when I punish Israel for their crimes, I will also visit in judgment the altars of Bethel, the horns of the altar will be hacked off, and they will fall to the ground.
15 And I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and many buildings will be torn apart, says the Lord.
I will destroy the winter houses together with the summer houses and the houses of ivory will perish. Many great houses will be swept away, says the Lord.
