Israel's Guilt and Punishment

Amos 3

¹ 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:

² You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.

³ Do two walk together
unless they have made an appointment?
⁴ 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?
⁵ 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?
⁶ Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster befall a city,
unless the Lord has done it?

⁷ Surely the Lord God does nothing,
without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.
⁸ The lion has roared;
who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken;
who can but prophesy?

⁹ Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod,
and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, "Assemble yourselves on Mount ₁ 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 defense;
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 ₂ 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 ₃ shall come to an end,
+qsays the Lord.

Amos 4

¹ Hear this word, you cows of Bashan

who are on Mount Samaria,
who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
who say to their husbands, "Bring something to drink!"
² The Lord God has sworn by his holiness:
The time is surely coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
even the last of you with fishhooks.
³ Through breaches in the wall you shall leave,
each one straight ahead;
and you shall be flung out into Harmon, ₄
+qsays the Lord.

⁴ Come to Bethel--and transgress;
to Gilgal--and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
your tithes every three days;
⁵ bring a thank offering of leavened bread,
and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
for so you love to do, O people of Israel!
+qsays the Lord God.