Amos 3

1 Hear ye this word, which Yahweh hath spoken, concerning you, ye sons of Israel, —concerning the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt saying: —

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,

2 Only you, have I acknowledged, of all the families of the ground, For this cause, will I visit upon you all your iniquities.

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

3 Can two walk together, —except they meet?

Do two walk together if they have not met?

4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when, prey, he hath none? Will a young lion utter his voice out of his den, when he hath made no capture?

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?

5 Will a bird fall upon a net to the earth, when there is no, snare, for it? Will a net rise from the ground, when it hath, captured nothing?

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?

6 Or a horn be blown in a city, and, a people, not tremble? Or calamity happen in a city, and, Yahweh, not have wrought with effect?

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

7 Surely My Lord Yahweh, will do, nothing, —except he have disclosed his secret unto his servants, the prophets!

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

8 A lion, hath roared, Who will not fear? My Lord Yahweh, hath spoken, Who can forbear to prophesy?

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

9 Announce it over the palaces in Ashdod, and over the palaces in the land of Egypt, —and say ye—Gather yourselves together upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold ye—the great disorders in the midst thereof, and the oppressed within her.

“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.

10 Therefore do they not know how to do right, Declareth Yahweh, who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces.

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

11 Therefore—Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, An adversary! Yea round about the land, —and he who shall bring down, from thee, thy strength, And spoiled shall be thy palaces.

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.”

12 Thus, saith Yahweh, Just as a shepherd rescueth, out of the mouth of the lion, a couple of shankbones, or the tip of an ear, so, shall be rescued the sons of Israel, who are tarrying in Samaria, in the corner of the divan, and on the damask of the luxurious couch.

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.

13 Hear ye and bear witness, throughout the house of Jacob, —Commandeth My Lord, Yahweh, God of hosts:

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

14 That, in the day I visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, then will I punish, concerning the altars of Bethel, So shall the horns of the altar, be broken off, and they shall fall to the ground;

“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.

15 And I will smite the winter house along with the summer house, —and the houses of ivory, shall be destroyed! and the great houses, shall disappear, Declareth Yahweh.

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!