责备以色列人

“以色列人啊,
要听耶和华责备你们的话,
责备我从埃及领出来的整个民族的话,
‘世上万族之中,我只拣选了你们,
所以我要因你们的罪恶而惩罚你们。’”

若非相约,
二人怎会同行呢?
若非捕到猎物,
狮子怎会在林中咆哮呢?
若非猎获食物,
猛狮怎会在洞中吼叫呢?
若非设下诱饵,
鸟儿怎会陷入网罗呢?
若非有什么陷进去,
网罗怎会收起来呢?
若城中响起号角,
居民岂不恐惧颤抖?
若灾祸降临城中,
岂不是耶和华的作为?
的确,主耶和华不向祂的仆人——众先知显明祂的计划,
就不会采取任何行动。
狮子吼叫,谁不惧怕呢?
主耶和华已发言,谁能不传讲呢?
要向亚实突和埃及的城堡宣告:
“你们要聚集到撒玛利亚的山上,
看看城中的混乱和暴虐之事。
10 他们不知正道,强取豪夺,
在他们的堡垒中积敛钱财。
这是耶和华说的。”
11 所以,主耶和华说:
“敌人要围攻此地,
攻破他们的防守,
抢掠他们的城堡。”

12 耶和华说:
“牧人从狮口中救羊,
只能夺回两条腿和一块耳朵。
同样,住在撒玛利亚的以色列人被救回的时候,
也仅剩一片床榻和一角卧椅。”
13 主——万军之上帝耶和华说:
“你们要听这话,去警告雅各家。
14 我追讨以色列人的罪时,
要摧毁伯特利的祭坛,
将祭坛的角砍落在地。
15 我要拆毁过冬和避暑的房屋,
捣毁象牙装饰的宫殿,
推倒许多宏伟的楼宇。
这是耶和华说的。”

Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?

Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.

10 For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.

11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.

12 Thus saith the Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.

13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,

14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.

Listen! This is your doom! It is spoken by the Lord against both Israel and Judah—against the entire family I brought from Egypt:

“Of all the peoples of the earth, I have chosen you alone. That is why I must punish you the more for all your sins. For how can we walk together with your sins between us?

“Would I be roaring as a lion unless I had a reason? The fact is, I am getting ready to destroy you. Even a young lion, when it growls, shows it is ready for its food. A trap doesn’t snap shut unless it is stepped on; your punishment is well deserved. The alarm has sounded—listen and fear! For I, the Lord, am sending disaster into your land.

“But always, first of all, I warn you through my prophets. This I now have done.”

The Lion has roared—tremble in fear. The Lord God has sounded your doom—I dare not refuse to proclaim it.

“Call together the Assyrian and Egyptian leaders, saying, ‘Take your seats now on the mountains of Samaria to witness the scandalous spectacle of all Israel’s crimes.’ 10 My people have forgotten what it means to do right,” says the Lord. “Their beautiful homes are full of the loot from their thefts and banditry. 11 Therefore,” the Lord God says, “an enemy is coming! He is surrounding them and will shatter their forts and plunder those beautiful homes.”

12 The Lord says, “A shepherd tried to rescue his sheep from a lion, but it was too late; he snatched from the lion’s mouth two legs and a piece of ear. So it will be when the Israelites in Samaria are finally rescued—all they will have left is half a chair and a tattered pillow.

13 “Listen to this announcement and publish it throughout all Israel,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty: 14 “On the same day that I punish Israel for her sins I will also destroy the idol altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.

15 “And I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy—their winter mansions and their summer houses too—and demolish their ivory palaces.”

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.