3 People of Israel, listen to this message which the Lord has spoken about you, the entire nation that he brought out of Egypt: ² “Of all the nations on earth, you are the only one I have known and cared for. That is what makes your sins so terrible, and that is why I must punish you for them.”

The Prophet's Task

³ Do two people start traveling together without arranging to meet?

⁴ Does a lion roar in the forest unless he has found a victim?

Does a young lion growl in his den unless he has caught something?

⁵ Does a bird get caught in a trap if the trap has not been baited?

Does a trap spring unless something sets it off?

⁶ Does the war trumpet sound in a city without making the people afraid?

Does disaster strike a city unless the Lord sends it?

⁷ The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.

⁸ When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid?

When the Sovereign Lord speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message?

The Doom of Samaria

⁹ Announce to those who live in the palaces of Egypt and Ashdod: “Gather together in the hills around Samaria and see the great disorder and the crimes being committed there.”

¹⁰ The Lord says, “These people fill their mansions with things taken by crime and violence. They don't even know how to be honest. ¹¹ And so an enemy will surround their land, destroy their defenses, and plunder their mansions.”

¹² The Lord says, “As a shepherd recovers only two legs or an ear of a sheep that a lion has eaten, so only a few will survive of Samaria's people, who now recline on luxurious couches.^{[a] 13} Listen now, and warn the descendants of Jacob,” says the Sovereign Lord Almighty. ^14 (A)“On the day when I punish the people of Israel for their sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel. The corners of every altar will be broken off and will fall to the ground. ¹⁵ I will destroy winter houses and summer houses. The houses decorated with ivory will fall in ruins; every large house will be destroyed.”