Amos 3

1 Hear this word that Yahweh has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up 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 only chosen you of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”

You alone have I cared for of all the nations of the world, this is why I will punish you for your crimes.

3 Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Do two walk together unless they agreed to meet?

4 Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

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 Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?

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 Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and Yahweh hasn’t done it?

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 Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals 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 has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord Yahweh has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

The lion has roared; who does not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?

9 Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see what unrest is in her, and what oppression is among them.”

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 “Indeed they don’t know to do right,” says Yahweh, “Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces.”

For they do not know how to do right. They are heaping up violence and oppression in their palaces, says the Lord.

11 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “An adversary will overrun the land; and he will pull down your strongholds, and your fortresses will be plundered.”

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 Yahweh says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.”

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 testify against the house of Jacob,” says the Lord Yahweh, the God of Armies.

Listen and testify against the house of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of hosts.

14 “For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and 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 I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end,” says Yahweh.

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.