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Warning to Israel

Listen to this word that the Lord has spoken against you, ·people [L sons; T children] of Israel, against the whole family he brought out of Egypt.

“I have ·chosen [known; C selected for a special relationship] only you
    out of all the families of the earth,
so I will punish you
    for all your sins.”

·Two people will not [L Can two…?] walk together
    unless they have agreed ·to do so [or to meet; or on the direction].
·A lion in the forest does not [L Does a lion in the forest…?] roar
    unless it has caught ·an animal [L its prey];
·it does not [L does a young lion…?] growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing.
·A bird will not [L Does a bird…?] fall into a trap
    where there is no bait;
·the trap will not [L does the trap…?] spring shut
    if there is nothing to catch.
When a trumpet ·blows a warning [L sounds] in a city,
    [L do not…?] the people tremble.
When ·trouble [disaster] comes to a city,
    ·the Lord has [L has not the Lord…?] caused it.
Before the Lord God does anything,
    he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared [C a symbol of coming judgment]!
    Who wouldn’t be afraid?
The Lord God has spoken.
    Who will not prophesy?

Announce this to the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Ashdod [C a city in Philistia]
    and to the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Egypt:
“·Come to [Assemble yourselves on] the mountains of Samaria,
    where you will see great ·confusion [chaos; tumult]
and ·people hurting others [oppression in her midst].”

10 “The people don’t know how to do what is right,” says the Lord.
    “Their ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] are filled with ·treasures they took by force from others [the spoils of violence and robbery].”
11     So this is what the Lord God says:
“An enemy will ·take over [overrun; or encircle] the land
    and pull down your strongholds;
he will ·take the treasures out of [plunder] your ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].”

12 This is what the Lord says:

“A shepherd might save from a lion’s mouth
    only two leg bones or a scrap of an ear of his sheep.
In the same way only a few Israelites in Samaria will be saved—
    ·people who now sit on their beds
    and on their couches [or only a corner of a bed or a part of a couch will be saved].”

13 “Listen and ·be witnesses [testify] against the family of Jacob [C Israel],” says the Lord God, the God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].

14 “·When [L On the day] I punish Israel for their sins,
    I will also destroy the altars at Bethel [C an important worship center in Israel; 1 Kin. 12:25–33].
The ·corners [L horns] of the altar will be cut off,
    and they will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house,
    together with the summer house.
The houses ·decorated with [or filled with; L of] ivory will be destroyed,
    and the great houses will ·come to an end [or be swept away],” says the Lord.

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you(A)—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:(B)

“You only have I chosen(C)
    of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish(D) you
    for all your sins.(E)

Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
Does a lion roar(F) in the thicket
    when it has no prey?(G)
Does it growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing?
Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
    when no bait(H) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
When a trumpet(I) sounds in a city,
    do not the people tremble?
When disaster(J) comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it?(K)

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan(L)
    to his servants the prophets.(M)

The lion(N) has roared(O)
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?(P)

Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod(Q)
    and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;(R)
    see the great unrest within her
    and the oppression among her people.”

10 “They do not know how to do right,(S)” declares the Lord,
    “who store up in their fortresses(T)
    what they have plundered(U) and looted.”

11 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“An enemy will overrun your land,
    pull down your strongholds
    and plunder your fortresses.(V)

12 This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s(W) mouth
    only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,
    with only the head of a bed
    and a piece of fabric[a] from a couch.[b](X)

13 “Hear this and testify(Y) against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

14 “On the day I punish(Z) Israel for her sins,
    I will destroy the altars of Bethel;(AA)
the horns(AB) of the altar will be cut off
    and fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house(AC)
    along with the summer house;(AD)
the houses adorned with ivory(AE) will be destroyed
    and the mansions(AF) will be demolished,(AG)
declares the Lord.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 3:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Amos 3:12 Or Israelites be rescued, / those who sit in Samaria / on the edge of their beds / and in Damascus on their couches.