3:1 Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against1 you. This message is for the entire clan I brought up2 from the land of Egypt: 3:2 I have chosen3 you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.
3:3 Do two walk together without having met?4
3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey?5
Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?
3:5 Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait?
Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something?
3:6 If an alarm sounds6 in a city, do people not fear?7
If disaster overtakes a8 city, is the Lord not responsible?9
3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
3:8 A lion has roared!10 Who is not afraid?
The sovereign Lord, has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy?11
Samaria Will Fall
3:9 Make this announcement in12 the fortresses of Ashdod
and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt.
Say this:
Gather on the hills around Samaria!13
Observe the many acts of violence14 taking place within the city,15
the oppressive deeds16 occurring in it.17
3:10 They do not know how to do what is right. (The Lord is speaking.)
They store up18 the spoils of destructive violence19 in their fortresses.
3:11 Therefore, says the sovereign Lord, an enemy will encircle the land.20
It will take away your power;21
your fortresses will be looted.
3:12 This is what the Lord says:
Just as a shepherd salvages from the lions mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged.22
They will be left with just a corner of a bed,23
and a part24 of a couch.
3:13 Listen and warn25 the family26 of Jacob!27
The sovereign Lord, the God who leads armies,28 is speaking!
3:14 Certainly when29 I punish Israel for their30 covenant transgressions,31
I will destroy32 Bethels33 altars.
The horns34 of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
3:15 I will destroy both the winter and summer houses.35
The houses filled with ivory36 will be ruined,
the great37 houses will be swept away.38
The Lord is speaking!