Amos 3
1 “You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.
Hear this word that Yahweh has spoken against you, people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
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.”
“I have chosen only you from all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
3 Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].
Will two walk together unless they have agreed?
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].
Will a lion roar in the forest when he has no victim? Will a young lion growl from his den if he has caught nothing?
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.
Can a bird fall in a trap on the ground when no bait is set for him? Will a trap spring up from the ground when it has not caught anything?
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].
If a trumpet sounds in a city, will the people not tremble? If disaster overtakes a city, has Yahweh not sent it?
7 And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.
Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing unless he reveals his plan to his servants the prophets.
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].
The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord Yahweh has spoken; who will not prophesy?
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!”
Proclaim this in the fortresses at Ashdod, and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt; say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see what great confusion is in her, and what oppression is in her.
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].
For they do not know how to do right —this is Yahweh's declaration— They store up violence and destruction in their fortresses.”
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.
Therefore, this is what the Lord Yahweh says: “An enemy will surround the land, and pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses.”
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.”
This is what Yahweh says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs only, or a piece of an ear; so will the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued; they will be left with only the corner of a couch or a piece of a bed.”
13 The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:
Hear and testify against the house of Jacob —this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh, the God of hosts:
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.
“For in the day that I punish the sins of Israel, I will also punish the altars of Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
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!”
I will destroy the winter house with the summer house. The houses of ivory will perish, and the large houses will vanish, —this is Yahweh's declaration.”
