Amos 3

1 Hear you this word, O house of Israel, which the Lord has spoken concerning you, and against the whole family whom I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying,

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,

2 You especially have I known out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I take vengeance upon you for all your sins.

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.

3 Shall two walk together at all, if they do not know one another?

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

4 Will a lion roar out of his thicket if he has no prey? will a [lion's] whelp utter his voice at all out of his lair, if he have taken nothing?

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?

5 Will a bird fall on the earth without a fowler? will a snare be taken up from the earth without having taken anything?

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?

6 Shall the trumpet sound in the city, and the people not be alarmed? shall there be evil in a city which the Lord has not wrought?

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?

7 For the Lord God will do nothing, without revealing instruction to his servants the prophets.

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

8 A lion shall roar, and who will not be alarmed? the Lord God has spoken, and who will not prophesy?

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?

9 Proclaim it to the regions among the Assyrians, and to the regions of Egypt, and say, Gather yourselves to the mountain of Samaria, and behold many wonderful things in the midst of it, and the oppression that is in it.

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.

10 And she knew not what things would come against her, says the Lord, [even] those that store up wrong and misery in their countries.

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.

11 Therefore thus says the Lord God; O Tyre, your land shall be made desolate round about [you]; and he shall bring down your strength out of you, and your countries shall be spoiled.

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.

12 Thus says the Lord; As when a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall be drawn forth the children of Israel who dwell in Samaria in the presence of [a foreign] tribe, and in Damascus.

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.

13 Hear, O you priests, and testify to the house of Jacob, says the Lord God Almighty.

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

14 For in the day wherein I shall take vengeance of the sins of Israel upon him, I will also take vengeance on the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be broken down, and they shall fall upon the ground.

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.

15 I will crush and strike the turreted-house upon the summer-house; and the ivory-houses shall be destroyed, and many other houses also, says the Lord.

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.