² “You only have I chosen^(C)
    of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish^(D) you
    for all your sins.^(E)”

³ Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ 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?
⁵ 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?
⁶ 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)

⁷ Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan^(L)
    to his servants the prophets.^(M)

⁸ The lion^(N) has roared^(O)—
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?^(P)

⁹ 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.”

“An enemy will overrun your land,
    pull down your strongholds
    and plunder your fortresses.^(V)”

“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)”

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)

⁶ “I gave you empty stomachs in every city
    and lack of bread in every town,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.^(AZ)

⁷ “I also withheld^(BA) rain from you
    when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
    but withheld it from another.^(BB)
One field had rain;
    another had none and dried up.
⁸ People staggered from town to town for water^(BC)
    but did not get enough^(BD) to drink,
    yet you have not returned^(BE) to me,”
declares the Lord.^(BF)

⁹ “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
    destroying them with blight and mildew.^(BG)
Locusts^(BH) devoured your fig and olive trees,^(BI)
    yet you have not returned^(BJ) to me,”
declares the Lord.

¹⁰ “I sent plagues^(BK) among you
    as I did to Egypt.^(BL)
I killed your young men^(BM) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench^(BN) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”^(BO)
declares the Lord.^(BP)

¹¹ “I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.^(BQ)
You were like a burning stick^(BR) snatched from the fire,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.^(BS)

¹² “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
    and because I will do this to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God.”

¹³ He who forms the mountains,^(BT)
    who creates the wind,^(BU)
    and who reveals his thoughts^(BV) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth^(BW)—
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.^(BX)

⁶ The Lord works righteousness^(M)
    and justice for all the oppressed.^(N)

⁷ He made known^(O) his ways^(P) to Moses,
    his deeds^(Q) to the people of Israel:
⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,^(R)
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;^(S)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve^(T)
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love^(U) for those who fear him;^(V)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions^(W) from us.

¹³ As a father has compassion^(X) on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,^(Y)
    he remembers that we are dust.^(Z)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,^(AA)
    they flourish like a flower^(AB) of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows^(AC) over it and it is gone,
    and its place^(AD) remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children^(AE)—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant^(AF)
    and remember^(AG) to obey his precepts.^(AH)

¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne^(AI) in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules^(AJ) over all.

²⁰ Praise the Lord,^(AK) you his angels,^(AL)
    you mighty ones^(AM) who do his bidding,^(AN)
    who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,^(AO)
    you his servants^(AP) who do his will.
²² Praise the Lord, all his works^(AQ)
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.^(AR)