Add parallel Print Page Options

Zonde brengt scheiding tussen God en het volk

Luister! Dit is uw vervloeking! De Here heeft die uitgesproken tegen Israël en Juda, tegen het hele volk dat Hij uit Egypte bevrijdde: ‘Uit alle volken heb Ik uitsluitend u gekozen. Daarom moet Ik u des te zwaarder straffen voor al uw zonden. Want hoe kunnen wij met elkaar praten als uw zonden ons scheiden en wij het niet eens worden? Zou Ik zonder reden brullen als een leeuw? Geloof Mij, Ik bereid Mij voor u te vernietigen. Zelfs een jonge leeuw laat door zijn grommen al merken dat hij voedsel heeft. Een val klapt pas dicht als iemand erop gaat staan, uw straf is welverdiend. De alarmklok heeft geluid. Luister en wees bang! Zal in uw land een ramp gebeuren zonder dat Ik daar de hand in heb? Maar Ik waarschuw altijd eerst, Ik vertel mijn profeten wat Ik ga doen.’

De leeuw heeft gebruld, beef van angst. De Oppermachtige Here heeft gesproken, dan moet ik er ook over profeteren.

Roep de Assyrische en Egyptische leiders vanaf de daken van hun burchten toe dat zij bijeen moeten komen en zeg: ‘Kom naar de bergen van Samaria, dan kunt u zien welke schandalige misdaden Israël heeft begaan. 10 Mijn onderdanen hebben vergeten wat het betekent het goede te doen,’ zegt de Here. ‘Hun prachtige huizen liggen vol met de buit van hun diefstallen en roofovervallen. 11 Daarom,’ zegt de Oppermachtige Here, ‘is een vijand in aantocht! Hij omsingelt hen en zal hun forten met de grond gelijkmaken en hun huizen leegplunderen.’

12 De Here zegt: ‘Een herder probeerde zijn schaap uit de klauwen van een leeuw te redden, maar het was te laat. Hij rukte alleen twee poten en een stuk van het oor uit de muil van de leeuw. Zo zal het ook zijn wanneer de Israëlieten in Samaria eindelijk weer in veiligheid zijn. Zij bezitten dan nog slechts wat schamele huisraad.’

13 ‘Luister naar deze aankondiging en maak hem in heel Israël bekend,’ zegt de Oppermachtige Here, de God van de hemelse legers: 14 ‘Op dezelfde dag dat Ik Israël voor haar overtredingen straf, zal Ik de afgodsbeelden in Betel verwoesten. De horens van het altaar zullen worden afgehakt. 15 Ik zal ook de prachtige huizen van de rijken, hun winterverblijven en hun zomerhuizen, verwoesten. Hetzelfde zal Ik doen met hun ivoren paleizen.’

The Lord Will Punish Israel for Its Immoral Behavior

Listen to this message which I, Yahweh, have spoken against you Israelites, against your whole family that I brought out of Egypt.

Out of all the families on earth, I have known no one else but you.
    That is why I am going to punish you for all your sins.

Do two people ever walk together without meeting first?
Does a lion roar in the forest if it has no prey?
    Does a young lion growl in its den unless it has caught something?
Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there’s no bait in it?
    Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has caught something?
If a ram’s horn sounds an alarm in a city, won’t the people be alarmed?
    If there is a disaster in a city, hasn’t Yahweh done it?
Certainly, Adonay Yahweh doesn’t do anything
    unless he first reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared. Who isn’t afraid?
    Adonay Yahweh has spoken. Who can keep from prophesying?

Announce in the palaces of Ashdod and in the palaces of Egypt,
    “Gather together on the mountains of Samaria.
        See the widespread confusion and oppression in Samaria.”
10 Those who collect profits in their palaces
    through violent and destructive acts
        don’t know how to do what is right, declares Yahweh.

11 This is what Adonay Yahweh says:

An enemy will surround your land,
    strip you of your defenses,
        and loot your palaces.

12 This is what Yahweh says:

As a shepherd rescues two legs or a piece of an ear out of a lion’s mouth,
    so the Israelites living in Samaria will be rescued,
        having only a corner of a bed or a piece of a couch.[a]
13 Listen, and testify against the descendants of Jacob,
    declares Adonay Yahweh Elohe Tsebaoth.
14 On the day I punish Israel for its disobedience,
    I will also destroy the altars at Bethel.
        The horns of the altar will be cut off and will fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down winter houses as well as summer houses.
    Houses decorated with ivory will be destroyed.
        Mansions will be demolished, declares Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 3:12 Or “a couch of Damascus.”

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.

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:

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

Do two walk together
    unless they have made an appointment?
Does a lion roar in the forest,
    when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den,
    if it has caught nothing?
Does a bird fall into a snare on the earth,
    when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
    when it has taken nothing?
Is a trumpet blown in a city,
    and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster befall a city,
    unless the Lord has done it?
Surely the Lord God does nothing,
    without revealing his secret
    to his servants the prophets.
The lion has roared;
    who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
    who can but prophesy?

Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod,
    and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, ‘Assemble yourselves on Mount[a] Samaria,
    and see what great tumults are within it,
    and what oppressions are in its midst.’
10 They do not know how to do right, says the Lord,
    those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
An adversary shall surround the land,
    and strip you of your defence;
    and your strongholds shall be plundered.

12 Thus says the Lord: As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who live in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part[b] of a bed.

13 Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob,
    says the Lord God, the God of hosts:
14 On the day I punish Israel for its transgressions,
    I will punish the altars of Bethel,
and the horns of the altar shall be cut off
    and fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house as well as the summer house;
    and the houses of ivory shall perish,
and the great houses[c] shall come to an end,
says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 3:9 Gk Syr: Heb the mountains of
  2. Amos 3:12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. Amos 3:15 Or many houses