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Announce this to the strong towers of Ashdod.
    Announce it to the strong cities of Egypt:
“Come to the mountains of Samaria.
    There you will see great confusion.
    You will see people hurting others.”

10 “The people don’t know how to do what is right,” says the Lord.
    “Their strong cities are filled with treasures they took by force from others.”

11 So this is what the Lord God says:

“An enemy will take over the land.
    He will pull down your strong towers.
    He will take the treasures you hid in your strong cities.”

12 This is what the Lord says:

“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 will be saved.
    These people now sit on their beds in Samaria.
    They sit on their couches.”

13 “You nations, listen to what I say against the family of Israel. You are my witnesses against them,” says the Lord God, the God of heaven’s armies.

14 “The people of Israel sinned, and I will punish them.
    I will also destroy the altars at Bethel.
The corners 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 ivory will be destroyed.
    And the great houses will come to an end,” says the Lord.

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Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod(A)
    and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;(B)
    see the great unrest within her
    and the oppression among her people.”

10 “They do not know how to do right,(C)” declares the Lord,
    “who store up in their fortresses(D)
    what they have plundered(E) 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.(F)

12 This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s(G) 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](H)

13 “Hear this and testify(I) against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

14 “On the day I punish(J) Israel for her sins,
    I will destroy the altars of Bethel;(K)
the horns(L) of the altar will be cut off
    and fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house(M)
    along with the summer house;(N)
the houses adorned with ivory(O) will be destroyed
    and the mansions(P) will be demolished,(Q)
declares the Lord.(R)

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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.