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。”

責備以色列人

「以色列人啊,
要聽耶和華責備你們的話,
責備我從埃及領出來的整個民族的話,
『世上萬族之中,我只揀選了你們,
所以我要因你們的罪惡而懲罰你們。』」

若非相約,
二人怎會同行呢?
若非捕到獵物,
獅子怎會在林中咆哮呢?
若非獵獲食物,
猛獅怎會在洞中吼叫呢?
若非設下誘餌,
鳥兒怎會陷入網羅呢?
若非有什麼陷進去,
網羅怎會收起來呢?
若城中響起號角,
居民豈不恐懼顫抖?
若災禍降臨城中,
豈不是耶和華的作為?
的確,主耶和華不向祂的僕人——眾先知顯明祂的計劃,
就不會採取任何行動。
獅子吼叫,誰不懼怕呢?
主耶和華已發言,誰能不傳講呢?
要向亞實突和埃及的城堡宣告:
「你們要聚集到撒瑪利亞的山上,
看看城中的混亂和暴虐之事。
10 他們不知正道,強取豪奪,
在他們的堡壘中積斂錢財。
這是耶和華說的。」
11 所以,主耶和華說:
「敵人要圍攻此地,
攻破他們的防守,
搶掠他們的城堡。」

12 耶和華說:
「牧人從獅口中救羊,
只能奪回兩條腿和一塊耳朵。
同樣,住在撒瑪利亞的以色列人被救回的時候,
也僅剩一片床榻和一角臥椅。」
13 主——萬軍之上帝耶和華說:
「你們要聽這話,去警告雅各家。
14 我追討以色列人的罪時,
要摧毀伯特利的祭壇,
將祭壇的角砍落在地。
15 我要拆毀過冬和避暑的房屋,
搗毀象牙裝飾的宮殿,
推倒許多宏偉的樓宇。
這是耶和華說的。」

Authority of the Prophet’s Message

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

“You(A) only have I known of all the families of the earth;
(B)Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion [a]cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no [b]trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
If a [c]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
(C)If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless (D)He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
(E)Who can but prophesy?

Punishment of Israel’s Sins

“Proclaim in the palaces at [d]Ashdod,
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the [e]oppressed within her.
10 For they (F)do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and [f]robbery in their palaces.’ ”

11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”

12 Thus says the Lord:

“As a shepherd [g]takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and [h]on the edge of a couch!
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of (G)Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15 I will [i]destroy (H)the winter house along with (I)the summer house;
The (J)houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 3:4 Lit. give his voice
  2. Amos 3:5 Or bait or lure
  3. Amos 3:6 ram’s horn
  4. Amos 3:9 So with MT; LXX Assyria
  5. Amos 3:9 Or oppression
  6. Amos 3:10 Or devastation
  7. Amos 3:12 Or snatches
  8. Amos 3:12 Heb. uncertain, possibly on the cover
  9. Amos 3:15 Lit. strike