1. People of Israel, listen to this message which the Lord has spoken about you, the entire nation that he brought out of Egypt:
2. “Of all the nations on earth, you are the only one I have known and cared for. That is what makes your sins so terrible, and that is why I must punish you for them.”
3. Do two people start travelling together without arranging to meet?
4. Does a lion roar in the forest unless he has found a victim?Does a young lion growl in his den unless he has caught something?
5. Does a bird get caught in a trap if the trap has not been baited?Does a trap spring unless something sets it off?
6. Does the war trumpet sound in a city without making the people afraid?Does disaster strike a city unless the Lord sends it?
7. The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.
8. When a lion roars, who can avoid being afraid?When the Sovereign Lord speaks, who can avoid proclaiming his message?
9. Announce to those who live in the palaces of Egypt and Ashdod: “Gather together in the hills surrounding Samaria and see the great disorder and the crimes being committed there.”
10. The Lord says, “These people fill their mansions with things taken by crime and violence. They don't even know how to be honest.
11. And so an enemy will surround their land, destroy their defences, and plunder their mansions.”