עמוס 3

1 שמעו את הדבר הזה אשר דבר יהוה עליכם--בני ישראל על כל המשפחה אשר העליתי מארץ מצרים לאמר

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

2 רק אתכם ידעתי מכל משפחות האדמה על כן אפקד עליכם את כל עונתיכם

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 הילכו שנים יחדו בלתי אם נועדו

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

4 הישאג אריה ביער וטרף אין לו היתן כפיר קולו ממענתו בלתי אם לכד

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 התפל צפור על פח הארץ ומוקש אין לה היעלה פח מן האדמה ולכוד לא ילכוד

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 אם יתקע שופר בעיר ועם לא יחרדו אם תהיה רעה בעיר ויהוה לא עשה

[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 כי לא יעשה אדני יהוה דבר כי אם גלה סודו אל עבדיו הנביאים

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

8 אריה שאג מי לא יירא אדני יהוה דבר מי לא ינבא

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 השמיעו על ארמנות באשדוד ועל ארמנות בארץ מצרים ואמרו האספו על הרי שמרון וראו מהומת רבות בתוכה ועשוקים בקרבה

[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 ולא ידעו עשות נכחה נאם יהוה האוצרים חמס ושד בארמנותיהם

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 לכן כה אמר אדני יהוה צר וסביב הארץ והוריד ממך עזך ונבזו ארמנותיך

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 כה אמר יהוה כאשר יציל הרעה מפי הארי שתי כרעים או בדל אזן--כן ינצלו בני ישראל הישבים בשמרון בפאת מטה ובדמשק ערש

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 שמעו והעידו בבית יעקב--נאם אדני יהוה אלהי הצבאות

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

14 כי ביום פקדי פשעי ישראל--עליו ופקדתי על מזבחות בית אל ונגדעו קרנות המזבח ונפלו לארץ

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 והכיתי בית החרף על בית הקיץ ואבדו בתי השן וספו בתים רבים--נאם יהוה

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!”