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:

以色列子民! 你們應聽從上主關於你們，即 由埃及領出來的全體民族所說的話：「

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.

由世界上一切種族中，我只選擇了你們，為此，我必懲罰你們的罪惡。

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

二人除非預約，豈能同行。

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?

獅子若無獵物，豈能在林中咆哮﹖幼獅除非捕到食物，豈能在洞中吼叫﹖

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?

雀鳥若無餌食，豈能落在地上﹖機楹若無所獲，豈能由地上翻起﹖

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?

如在城中吹起號角，人民豈不恐怖﹖如城裏發生災禍，豈不是上主所為﹖

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

的確，上主若不先將自己的計劃啟示給自己的先知，什麼也不作。

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

獅子咆哮了，誰不害怕﹖吾主上主發了言，誰能不傳衪的話﹖」

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.

他們要在亞述和埃及的宮殿高處宣布說：你們應聚集在撒馬黎雅山上，觀看那裏的混亂和其中的殘暴。

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

他們不知行正直的事──上主的斷語──只知在宮殿內積累強暴和欺壓。

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.

為此，吾主上主這樣說：「敵人要圍困此地，推翻你的堡壘，搶掠你的宮殿。

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.

上主這樣說：牧人怎樣從樣由獅子口中搶救出兩條羊腿，或一塊羊耳，以色列子民，即在 撒馬利亞斜倚在安樂椅角上，或大馬士革榻上的人，也要怎樣被救出。

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

你們靜聽，並對雅各伯家作証──吾主上主萬軍的天主的斷語──

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.

在我懲罰以色列罪惡之日，我必毀壞貝特耳的祭壇，祭壇的角必被打落在地上。

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.

我要破壞過冬和過夏的別墅，象牙宮也必遭毀壞，高樓大廈也必蕩然無存」──上主的斷語。