² “I have ·chosen [known; ^Cselected for a special relationship] only you
    out of all the families of the earth,
so I will punish you
    for all your sins.”

³ ·Two people will not [^LCan two…?] walk together
    unless they have agreed ·to do so [or to meet; or on the direction].
⁴ ·A lion in the forest does not [^LDoes a lion in the forest…?] roar
    unless it has caught ·an animal [^Lits prey];
·it does not [^Ldoes a young lion…?] growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing.
⁵ ·A bird will not [^LDoes a bird…?] fall into a trap
    where there is no bait;
·the trap will not [^Ldoes the trap…?] spring shut
    if there is nothing to catch.
⁶ When a trumpet ·blows a warning [^Lsounds] in a city,
    [^Ldo not…?] the people tremble.
When ·trouble [disaster] comes to a city,
    ·the Lord has [^Lhas not the Lord…?] caused it.
⁷ Before the Lord God does anything,
    he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.
⁸ The lion has roared [^Ca symbol of coming judgment]!
    Who wouldn’t be afraid?
The Lord God has spoken.
    Who will not prophesy?

⁹ Announce this to the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Ashdod [^Ca 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].”

“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].”

¹⁴ “·When [^LOn the day] I punish Israel for their sins,
    I will also destroy the altars at Bethel [^Can important worship center in Israel; 1 Kin. 12:25–33].
The ·corners [^Lhorns] 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; ^Lof] ivory will be destroyed,
    and the great houses will ·come to an end [or be swept away],” says the Lord.