Amos 3
1 “You people of Israel, I brought all your ancestors out of Egypt; so listen to what I am saying about you.
O Israel, se nya si Yehowa gblɔ tso mi ƒome blibo si wòkplɔ tso Egipte la ŋu ɖa.
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.”
“Le amegbetɔƒome siwo katã le anyigba dzi dome la, miawo ko metia, eya ta wòle be mahe to na mi vevie ɖe miaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta ɖo,
3 Two [people] certainly cannot [RHQ] walk together if they have not [already] agreed [about what place they will start walking from].
elabena aleke ame eve ate ŋu azɔ ɖekae ne womeɖo gbe ɖi o?”
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].
Ɖe dzata ɖea gbe le ave me ne melé nu oa? Ɖe dzata tea gbe le eƒe do me ne mekpɔ lé nu haɖe oa?
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.
Ɖe xevi dzona ɖe mɔ dzi le anyigba, ne wometre mɔ nɛ oa? Alo ɖe mɔ fena, ne naneke meɖo eme oa?
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].
Ne kpẽ ɖi le du me la, ɖe dua me tɔwo mevɔ̃na oa? Ne dzɔgbevɔ̃e va du aɖe dzi la, ɖe menye Yehowae ɖe mɔ oa?
7 And whatever Yahweh plans to do, he tells his prophets about it.
Eya ta Yehowa Ŋusẽkatãtɔ, mewɔa naneke ne meɖe eƒe ɖoɖo fia eƒe dɔla nyagblɔɖilawo hafi o.
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].
Dzata ɖe gbe, ame kae mavɔ̃ o. Yehowa Mawu ƒo nu, ame kae agbe be yemagblɔ nya ɖi o.
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!”
Miɖe gbeƒã le Asdod kple Egipte fiasãwo me be, “Miƒo ƒu mia ɖokuiwo ɖe Samaria towo dzi, ne miakpɔ ʋunyaʋunya gã kple teteɖeanyi siwo le edzi yim le dukɔ la dome.”
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].
Yehowa be, “Nye dukɔ ŋlɔ nu nyui wɔwɔ be, woƒe aƒe nyuiwo me yɔ kple nu siwo wofi kple nu siwo woda adzoe.”
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.
Yehowa Mawu be, “Eya ta futɔ aɖe ava nye avuzi le miaƒe anyigba dzi, agbã miaƒe mɔ sesẽwo, eye wòaha miaƒe fiasãwo.”
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.”
Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye si, “Abe ale si Alẽkplɔla ɖea lã ƒe ata eve kple to kakɛ aɖe ko le dzata ƒe nu me la, nenema kee wòanɔ na Israelvi siwo nɔ Samaria le aba ƒe dzogoe dzi kple ame siwo nɔ aba ƒe kundru dzi.”
13 The Commander of the armies of angels said this: “Proclaim [this message] about the descendants [MTY] of Jacob:
Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Mawu la gblɔ be, “Misee, eye miagblɔe na Yakob ƒe aƒe la be:
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.
Gbe si gbe mahe to na Israel ɖe eƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta la, gbe ma gbe kee matsrɔ̃ legba siwo katã le Betel. Woaŋe vɔ̃samlekpui la ƒe dzowo woage ɖe anyigba.
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!”
Magbã kesinɔtɔwo ƒe aƒe nyuiwo, akaka woƒe vuvɔŋɔlixɔ dranyiwo kple woƒe dzomeŋɔlixɔwo. Matsrɔ̃ woƒe nyiɖuxɔwo, eye magbã woƒe sãwo,” Yehowae gblɔe.
