Amos 3

1 “You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.

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 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.”

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 Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].

二人除非預約，豈能同行。

4 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].

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 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.

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 [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].

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 And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.

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 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].

獅子咆哮了，誰不害怕﹖吾主上主發了言，誰能不傳衪的話﹖」

9 [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!”

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 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].

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 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.

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 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.”

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 The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:

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 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.

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 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!”

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。