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Amos 3 (MSG)

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¹ Listen to this, Israel. GOD is calling you to account--and I mean all of you, everyone connected with the family that he delivered out of Egypt. Listen! ² "Out of all the families on earth, I picked you. Therefore, because of your special calling, I'm holding you responsible for all your sins." ³ Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same place? ⁴ Does a lion roar in the forest if there's no carcass to devour? Does a young lion growl with pleasure if he hasn't caught his supper? ⁵ Does a bird fall to the ground if it hasn't been hit with a stone? Does a trap spring shut if nothing trips it? ⁶ When the alarm goes off in the city, aren't people alarmed? And when disaster strikes the city, doesn't GOD stand behind it? ⁷ The fact is, GOD, the Master, does nothing without first telling his prophets the whole story. ⁸ The lion has roared-- who isn't frightened? GOD has spoken-- what prophet can keep quiet? ⁹ Announce to the forts of Assyria, announce to the forts of Egypt-- Tell them, "Gather on the Samaritan mountains, take a good, hard look: what a snake pit of brutality and terror! ¹⁰ They can't--or won't--do one thing right." GOD said so. "They stockpile violence and blight. ¹¹ Therefore"--this is GOD's Word--"an enemy will surround the country. He'll strip you of your power and plunder your forts." ¹² GOD's Message: "In the same way that a shepherd trying to save a lamb from a lion Manages to recover just a pair of legs or the scrap of an ear, So will little be saved of the Israelites who live in Samaria-- A couple of old chairs at most, the broken le ¹³ "Listen and bring witness against Jacob's family"-- this is God's Word, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! ¹⁴ "Note well! The day I make Israel pay for its sins, pay for the sin-altars of worship at Bethel, The horned altars will all be dehorned and scattered around. ¹⁵ I'll tear down the winter palace, smash the summer palace--all your fancy buildings. The luxury homes will be demolished, all those pretentious houses." GOD's Decree.