Hear this word which Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities." Can two walk together except they have an appointment? Doth a lion roar in the jungle and have no prey? Doth a young lion let forth his voice from his den if he hath taken nothing?
Doth a little bird fall on the snare earthwards and there be no noose about her? Doth the snare itself rise up from the ground, except it be capturing something?
CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE HILL COUNTRY OF JUDEA.
It is on the edge of this "wilderness of Judea" that the towns of Bethlehem, and Tekoa, the home of Amos, are situated, and in this region both David and Amos pastured their sheep.
Is the alarm trumpet blown in a city and do the people not tremble? Shall calamity happen in a city and Jehovah not have done it? Yea, the Lord Jehovah doeth nothing but he has revealed his purpose to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared, who shall not fear? Jehovah hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
Make proclamation over the palaces in Ashdod, and over the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, "Gather upon the Mount of Samaria and see! Confusions manifold in the midst of her; violence to her very core!" Yea they know not how to do uprightness, saith Jehovah, who store up wrong and violence in their palaces. Therefore saith the Lord, "Siege and investment of the land! And they shall bring down thy fortresses and plundered shall be thy palaces." Thus saith Jehovah: "As the shepherd saveth from the mouth of the lion, a pair of shin bones or a bit of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be saved--they who sit in Samaria in the corner of the divan and on a Damascus couch."