Amos 3

1 Hear the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning you, O ye children of Israel: concerning the whole family that I brought up 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 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I 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 Shall two walk together except they be agreed?

二人除非預約，豈能同行。

4 Will a lion roar in the forest, if he have no prey? will the lion’s whelp cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

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 the bird fall into the snare upon the earth, if there be no fowler? Shall the snare be taken up from the earth, before it hath taken somewhat?

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 Shall the trumpet sound in a city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, which the Lord hath 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 doth nothing without revealing 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 shall roar, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who shall 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 Publish it in the houses of Azotus, and in the houses of the land of Egypt, and say: Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the many follies in the midst thereof, and them that suffer oppression in the inner rooms thereof.

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 have not known to do the right thing, saith the Lord, storing up iniquity, and robberies in their houses.

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 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: The land shall be in tribulation, and shall be compassed about: and thy strength shall be taken away from thee, and thy houses shall be spoiled.

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 saith the Lord: As if a shepherd should get out of the lion’s mouth two legs, or the tip of the ear: so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria, in a piece of a bed, and in the couch 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 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord the 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 shall begin to visit the transgressions of Israel, I will visit upon him, and upon the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altars shall be cut off, and shall 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 shall perish, and many houses shall be destroyed, saith 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。