Our Father Calls Israel to Account
3 1 Hear this word that our Father has spoken against you, children of Israel — against the whole family I brought up out of the land of Egypt: 2 Of all the families of the earth, I have known only you; therefore I will hold you accountable for all your iniquities. 3 Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? 4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out from his den if he has caught nothing? 5 Does a bird fall into a snare on the ground when there is no trap for it? Does a snare spring up from the earth when it has caught nothing? 6 If a ram's horn is blown in a city, will the people not tremble? If disaster comes to a city, has our Father not done it? 7 Surely the Sovereign Father does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8 The lion has roared — who will not fear? The Sovereign Father has spoken — who can keep from prophesying? 9 Proclaim over the strongholds in Ashdod and over the strongholds in the land of Egypt, and say: "Assemble on the mountains of Samaria and see the great uproar within her, and the oppression in her midst. 10 They do not know how to do right, declares our Father — those who hoard up violence and plunder in their strongholds.
11 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Father says: An adversary will surround the land; he will pull down your defenses, and your strongholds will be plundered.
12 This is what our Father says: As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the children of Israel who live in Samaria will be rescued — with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.
13 Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob, declares the Sovereign Father, the Father of heaven's armies: 14 On the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will strike the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory will perish, and the great houses will come to an end, declares our Father.