Amos 3
1 “You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.
People of Israel, listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you—all of you, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt.
2 From all the people-groups on the earth, I [chose and] took care of only you. That is the reason that I will punish you for the sins that you have committed.”
I chose a special relationship with you alone out of all the families of the earth, and so I will punish you for your wrongdoing.
3 Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].
Can two people walk together unless they have arranged to meet?
4 A lion certainly does not [RHQ] roar in the bushes/forest if it has not killed another animal. It does not [RHQ] growl in its den if it is not eating [the flesh of an animal that it has caught].
Does a lion roar in the forest before finding its prey? Does a young lion growl from its den if it has caught nothing?
5 No one can [RHQ] catch a bird if [he does] not [set] a trap for it. A trap does not spring shut unless some [animal] has not sprung the trap.
Does a bird fall into a trap and get caught unless the spring is set? Does a trap spring shut if there's nothing there to catch?
6 [Similarly, all] the people in a city certainly [RHQ] become afraid when [they hear someone] blowing a trumpet [to signal that enemies are attacking]. And when a city experiences disaster, Yahweh is the one who has caused it [RHQ].
When the trumpet sounds in the city, shouldn't the people be alarmed? When a disaster comes to a city, isn't it the Lord who does it?
7 And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.
For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his intentions to his servants the prophets.
8 Everyone certainly becomes terrified [RHQ] when they hear a lion roar, and if Yahweh the Lord has given messages [to prophets like me], we certainly must [RHQ] proclaim those messages, [even if they cause people to become terrified].
The lion has roared—so who isn't scared? The Lord God has spoken—so who can refuse to speak for him?
9 [I said this to the leaders of Samaria] (OR, [Yahweh said this to me]): Send this message to the leaders [MET] in Ashdod [city] and to Egypt: “Come to the hills of Samaria and see [the way that their (leaders/wealthy people)] are causing people in that city to be terrified, and [the way that they] are causing the people to suffer!”
Announce this to the fortresses of Ashdod and to the fortresses in the land of Egypt: Assemble yourselves on Samaria's mountains and see all the turmoil and oppression happening in the country.
10 Yahweh says that the people there do not know how to do things that are right. Their homes are filled with [valuable things] that they have stolen or [taken] violently [from others].
They don't know how to do what is right, declares the Lord. They have stored up in their fortresses what they've taken by violence and robbery.
11 So Yahweh [our] God says that [soon] their enemies will come and tear down their (defenses/high city walls) and take away those valuable things.
As a result, says the Lord, an enemy will surround you, break down your strongholds, and plunder your fortresses.
12 Yahweh has declared this: “When a lion attacks a sheep, [sometimes] a shepherd will be able to snatch from the lion’s mouth only two legs or an ear of the sheep. Similarly, [only] a few people from Samaria will escape, and [they will be able to rescue only] a part of a couch and a part of a bed.”
This is what the Lord says: Just as a shepherd tries to rescue a sheep from a lion's mouth, but only saves a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, so it will be for the people of Israel living in Samaria—all that will be “saved” will be the corner of a couch and a piece of a leg from a bed.
13 The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:
Listen! Warn the house of Jacob, declares the Lord God of power.
14 When I, Yahweh, punish [the people of] Israel because of the sins that they have committed, I will cause the altars at Bethel [town] to be destroyed; even the projections at the corners of the altars will be cut off and fall to the ground.
For on that day I will punish Israel for their sins. I will destroy the altars of Bethel: the corners of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
15 I will cause the houses [that they live in during] the (winter/rainy season) and those [in which they live during] the (summer/dry season) to be torn down. [Beautiful] big houses and houses [that are decorated] with ivory will be destroyed. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
I will tear down their winter houses and their summer houses as well, their houses filled with ivory will be ruined—their many houses will be destroyed.
