God’s Reasons for Punishing Israel

1Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:a

2I have known only youa

out of all the clans of the earth;

therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.b

3Can two walk togethera

without agreeing to meet?

4Does a lion roara in the forest

when it has no prey?

Does a young lion growl from its lair

unless it has captured something?

5Does a bird land in a trap on the ground

if there is no bait for it?

Does a trap spring from the ground

when it has caught nothing?

6If a ram’s horna is blown in a city,

aren’t people afraid?b

If a disasterc occurs in a city,

hasn’t the Lord done it?d

7Indeed, the Lord God does nothing

without revealing his counsel

to his servants the prophets.a

8A lion has roared;a

who will not fear?

The Lord God has spoken;b

who will not prophesy?c

9Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdoda

and on the citadels in the land of Egypt:

Assemble on the mountains of Samaria,b

and see the great turmoil in the city

and the acts of oppression within it.c

10The people are incapable of doing righta —

this is the Lord’s declaration —

those who store up violence and destructionb

in their citadels.

11Therefore, the Lord God says:

An enemya will surround the land;

he will destroyb your strongholds

and plunder your citadels.c

12The Lord says:

As the shepherd snatches two legs

or a piece of an ear

from the lion’s mouth,a

so the Israelites who live in Samaria

will be rescued

with only the corner of a bedb

or theA cushionB of a couch.C c

13Listen and testifya against the house of Jacob —

this is the declaration of the Lord God,

the God of Armies.

14I will punish the altars of Bethela

on the day I punish Israel for its crimes;

the horns of the altarb will be cut off

and fall to the ground.c

15I will demolish the winter housea

and the summer house;b

the houses inlaid with ivoryc will be destroyed,

and the great housesd will come to an end.

This is the Lord’s declaration.