Amos 3

1 Hear this word that YHWH has spoken concerning you, O sons of Israel, concerning all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

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,

2 “Only you have I known of all families of the earth, Therefore I charge on you all your iniquities.”

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

3 Do two walk together if they have not met?

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

4 Does a lion roar in a forest and he has no prey? Does a young lion give out his voice from his habitation, If he has not caught?

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?

5 Does a bird fall into a snare of the earth, And there is no trap for it? Does a snare go up from the ground, And it does not capture prey?

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

6 Is a horn blown in a city, And do people not tremble? Is there affliction in a city, And YHWH has not done [it]?

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?

7 For Lord YHWH does nothing, Except He has revealed His counsel to His servants the prophets.

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

8 A lion has roared—who does not fear? Lord YHWH has spoken—who does not prophesy?

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

9 “Sound to palaces in Ashdod, And to palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Be gathered on mountains of Samaria, And see many troubles within her, And oppressed ones in her midst.

Proclaim it to the regions amongst 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.

10 And they have not known to act straightforwardly,” A declaration of YHWH, “Who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces.”

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

11 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: “An adversary—and surrounding the land, And he has brought down your strength from you, And your palaces have been spoiled.”

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.

12 Thus said YHWH: “As the shepherd delivers from the lion’s mouth Two legs, or a piece of an ear, So the sons of Israel are delivered, Who are sitting in Samaria on the corner of a bed, And in Damascus [on that of] a couch.

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.

13 Hear and testify to the house of Jacob,” A declaration of Lord YHWH, God of Hosts.

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

14 “For in the day of My charging the transgressions of Israel on him, I have laid a charge on the altars of Beth-El, And the horns of the altar have been cut off, And they have fallen to the earth.

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.

15 And I have struck the winter-house with the summer-house, And houses of ivory have perished, And many houses have been consumed,” A declaration of YHWH!

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.