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The Lord Judges His Chosen People
3 People of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. It is against you. It is against the whole family he brought up out of Egypt. He says,
2 “Out of all of the families on earth
I have chosen only you.
So I will punish you
because you have committed so many sins.”
unless they’ve agreed to do so?
4 Does a lion roar in the bushes
when it doesn’t have any food?
Does it growl in its den
when it hasn’t caught anything?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground
where no one has set a trap for it?
Does a net spring up from the earth
when there isn’t anything for it to catch?
6 When someone blows a trumpet in a city,
don’t the people tremble with fear?
When trouble comes to a city,
hasn’t the Lord caused it?
7 The Lord and King never does anything
without telling his servants the prophets about it.
Who isn’t afraid?
The Lord and King has spoken.
Who can do anything but prophesy?
9 Speak to the people in the forts of Ashdod and Egypt.
Tell them, “Gather together
on the mountains of Samaria.
Look at the great trouble in that city.
Its people are committing many crimes.”
10 “They do not know how to do what is right,”
announces the Lord.
“They pile up stolen goods in their forts.”
“Enemies will take over your land.
They will pull down your places of safety.
They will rob your forts.”
“Suppose a shepherd saves only two leg bones
from a lion’s mouth.
Or he might save only a piece of an ear.
That is how the Israelites will be saved.
They sit in Samaria
on the edge of their beds.
They lie down in Damascus
on their couches.”
13“Listen to me,” announces the Lord. “Witness against the people of Jacob,” says the Lord God who rules over all.
14 “I will punish Israel for their sins.
When I do, I will destroy their altars at Bethel.
The horns that stick out from the upper corners
of their main altar will be cut off.
They will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear their winter houses down.
I will also pull down their summer houses.
The houses they have decorated with ivory will be destroyed.
And their princely houses will be torn down,”
announces the Lord.
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About New International Reader’s Version (1998)The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) was developed to help early readers understand the Bible. Begun in 1992, the NIrV is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV). The NIrV uses shorter words and sentences so that those with a typical fourth grade reading level can comprehend what they are reading. The chapters have been separated into shorter sections and most have titles that clearly indicate what the section is all about. The NIrV will be a valuable translation to those for whom English is a second language. The NIrV still relies on the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for its translation, guaranteeing that those who read it are getting the actual Word of God. |
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