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: —
“You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.
2 Only you, have I acknowledged, of all the families of the ground, For this cause, will I visit upon you all your iniquities.
From all the people-groups on the earth, I [chose and] took care of only you. That is the reason that I will punish you for the sins that you have committed.”
3 Can two walk together, —except they meet?
Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].
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?
A lion certainly does not [RHQ] roar in the bushes/forest if it has not killed another animal. It does not [RHQ] growl in its den if it is not eating [the flesh of an animal that it has 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?
No one can [RHQ] catch a bird if [he does] not [set] a trap for it. A trap does not spring shut unless some [animal] has not sprung the trap.
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?
[Similarly, all] the people in a city certainly [RHQ] become afraid when [they hear someone] blowing a trumpet [to signal that enemies are attacking]. And when a city experiences disaster, Yahweh is the one who has caused it [RHQ].
7 Surely My Lord Yahweh, will do, nothing, —except he have disclosed his secret unto his servants, the prophets!
And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.
8 A lion, hath roared, Who will not fear? My Lord Yahweh, hath spoken, Who can forbear to prophesy?
Everyone certainly becomes terrified [RHQ] when they hear a lion roar, and if Yahweh the Lord has given messages [to prophets like me], we certainly must [RHQ] proclaim those messages, [even if they cause people to become terrified].
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.
[I said this to the leaders of Samaria] (OR, [Yahweh said this to me]): Send this message to the leaders [MET] in Ashdod [city] and to Egypt: “Come to the hills of Samaria and see [the way that their (leaders/wealthy people)] are causing people in that city to be terrified, and [the way that they] are causing the people to suffer!”
10 Therefore do they not know how to do right, Declareth Yahweh, who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces.
Yahweh says that the people there do not know how to do things that are right. Their homes are filled with [valuable things] that they have stolen or [taken] violently [from others].
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.
So Yahweh [our] God says that [soon] their enemies will come and tear down their (defenses/high city walls) and take away those valuable things.
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.
Yahweh has declared this: “When a lion attacks a sheep, [sometimes] a shepherd will be able to snatch from the lion’s mouth only two legs or an ear of the sheep. Similarly, [only] a few people from Samaria will escape, and [they will be able to rescue only] a part of a couch and a part of a bed.”
13 Hear ye and bear witness, throughout the house of Jacob, —Commandeth My Lord, Yahweh, God of hosts:
The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:
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;
When I, Yahweh, punish [the people of] Israel because of the sins that they have committed, I will cause the altars at Bethel [town] to be destroyed; even the projections at the corners of the altars will be cut off and fall to the ground.
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.
I will cause the houses [that they live in during] the (winter/rainy season) and those [in which they live during] the (summer/dry season) to be torn down. [Beautiful] big houses and houses [that are decorated] with ivory will be destroyed. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
