Amos 3

1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying:

Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:

2 “I have only chosen you of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”

“Only you have I known from all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

3 Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Can two walk together without agreeing where to go?

4 Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing?

5 Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?

Does a bird land in a snare where no bait has been set? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has nothing to catch?

6 Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does evil happen to a city, and the LORD hasn’t done it?

If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?

7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.

8 The lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken. Who can but prophesy?

The lion has roared— who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken— who will not prophesy?

9 Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see what unrest is in her, and what oppression is amongst them.”

Proclaim to the citadels of Ashdod and to the citadels of Egypt: “Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest in the city and the acts of oppression in her midst.”

10 “Indeed they don’t know to do right,” says the LORD, “Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces.”

“For they know not how to do right,” declares the LORD. “They store up violence and destruction in their citadels.”

11 Therefore the Lord GOD says: “An adversary will overrun the land; and he will pull down your strongholds, and your fortresses will be plundered.”

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “An enemy will surround the land; he will pull down your strongholds and plunder your citadels.”

12 The LORD says: “As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed.”

This is what the LORD says: “As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued having just the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.

13 “Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob,” says the Lord GOD, the God of Armies.

Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, declares the Lord GOD, the God of Hosts.

14 “For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground.

On the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.

15 I will strike the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will have an end,” says the LORD.

I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish, and the great houses will come to an end,”