1 People of Israel, listen to this message! The Lord said these things about you, Israel. This message is about all the families ˻(Israel)˼ that I brought from the land of Egypt. 2 “There are many families on earth. But you are the only family I chose to know in a special way. ˻And you turned against me.˼ So I will punish you for all your sins.” 3 Two people will not walk together unless they agree! 4 A lion in the forest will roar only after catching an animal. If a young lion is roaring in his cave, then it means he caught something. 5 A bird will not fly into a trap on the ground if there is no food in the trap. And if the trap closes, then it will catch the bird. 6 If a trumpet blows a warning, then the people will surely shake with fear. If trouble comes to a city, then the Lord caused it. 7 The Lord my Master might decide to do something. But before he does anything, he will tell his plans to his servants, the prophets. 8 If a lion roars, people will be scared. If the Lord speaks, prophets will prophesy. 9 - 10 Go to the high towers in Ashdod and Egypt and announce this message: “Come to the mountains of Samaria. There you will see great confusion. Why? Because the people don’t know how to live right. Those people were cruel to other people. They took things from other people and hid those things in their high towers. Their treasuries are filled with things they took in war.” 11 So the Lord says, “An enemy will come to that land. That enemy will take away your strength. He will take the things you hid in your high towers.” 12 The Lord says, “A lion might attack a lamb, and a shepherd might try to save the lamb. But the shepherd will save only a part of that lamb. He might pull two legs or a part of an ear from the lion’s mouth. In the same way, most of the people of Israel will not be saved. The people living in Samaria will save only a corner from a bed, or a piece of cloth from a couch.” 13 My Master, the Lord God All-Powerful, says these things: “Warn Jacob’s family (Israel) about these things. 14 Israel sinned, and I will punish them for their sins. I will also destroy the altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy the winter house with the summer house. The houses of ivory will be destroyed. Many houses will be destroyed.” The Lord said those things.
