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:
Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land 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.
“Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Will two walk together, unless they have agreed to do so?
Can two walk together without agreeing where to go?
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 he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?
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 land in a snare where no bait has been set? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has nothing to catch?
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?
If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD 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 plan 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 will 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 to the citadels of Ashdod and to the citadels of Egypt: “Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest in the city and 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 know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.”
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 this is what the Lord GOD says: “An enemy will surround the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your citadels.”
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.
This is what the LORD says: “As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued having just the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.
13 Listen and give testimony in the house of Jacob, says the Lord God of hosts:
Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, declares 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 I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut 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 tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,”
