Amos 3

1 Give ear to this word which the Lord has said against you, O children of Israel, against all the family which I took up out of the land of Egypt, saying,

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:

2 You only of all the families of the earth have I taken care of: for this reason I will send punishment on you for all your sins.

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.

3 Is it possible for two to go walking together, if not by agreement?

Will two walk together, unless they have agreed to do so?

4 Will a lion give his loud cry in the woodland when no food is there? will the voice of the young lion be sounding from his hole if he has taken nothing?

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?

5 Is it possible for a bird to be taken in a net on the earth where no net has been put for him? will the net come up from the earth if it has taken nothing at all?

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?

6 If the horn is sounded in the town will the people not be full of fear? will evil come on a town if the Lord has not done it?

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?

7 Certainly the Lord will do nothing without making clear his secret to his servants, the prophets.

For the Lord God does not fulfill his word, unless he has revealed his secret to his servants the prophets.

8 The cry of the lion is sounding; who will not have fear? The Lord God has said the word; is it possible for the prophet to keep quiet?

The lion will roar, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who will not prophesy?

9 Give out the news in the great houses of Assyria and in the land of Egypt, and say, Come together on the mountains of Samaria, and see what great outcries are there, and what cruel acts are done in it.

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.

10 For they have no knowledge of how to do what is right, says the Lord, who are storing up violent acts and destruction in their great houses.

And they do not know how to make it right, says the Lord, storing up iniquity and plunder in their buildings.

11 For this reason, says the Lord, an attacker will come, shutting in the land on every side; and your strength will come down and your great houses will be made waste.

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.

12 These are the words of the Lord: As the keeper of sheep takes out of the mouth of the lion two legs or part of an ear; so will the children of Israel be made safe, who are resting in Samaria on seats of honour or on the silk cushions of a bed.

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.

13 Give ear now, and give witness against the family of Jacob, says the Lord God, the God of armies;

Listen and give testimony in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God of hosts:

14 For in the day when I give Israel punishment for his sins, I will send punishment on the altars of Beth-el, and the horns of the altar will be cut off and come down to the earth.

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.

15 And I will send destruction on the winter house with the summer house; the ivory houses will be falling down and the great houses will come to an end, says the Lord.

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.