Amos 3

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 trumpetⁱ 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 lionⁿ 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.”

“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.”

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“An enemy will overrun your land,

pull down your strongholds

and plunder your fortresses.^v”

This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd saves from the lion’s^w mouth

only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,

so will the Israelites be saved,

those who sit in Samaria

on the edge of their beds

and in Damascus on their couches.^x”

“Hear this and testify^y against the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

“On the day I punish^z Israel for her sins,

I will destroy the altars of Bethel;^a

the horns^b of the altar will be cut off

and fall to the ground.

I will tear down the winter house^c

along with the summer house;^d

the houses adorned with ivory^e will be destroyed

and the mansions^f will be demolished,^g”

declares the Lord.^h