שִׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַ֚ל כׇּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלֵ֛יתִי מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ Hear this word, O people of Israel,
That GOD has spoken concerning you,
Concerning the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
רַ֚ק אֶתְכֶ֣ם יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִכֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת הָאֲדָמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ אֶפְקֹ֣ד עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ You alone have I singled out
Of all the families of the earth—
That is why I will call you to account
For all your iniquities.
הֲיֵלְכ֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם יַחְדָּ֑ו בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־נוֹעָֽדוּ׃ Can two walk together
Without having met?
הֲיִשְׁאַ֤ג אַרְיֵה֙ בַּיַּ֔עַר וְטֶ֖רֶף אֵ֣ין ל֑וֹ הֲיִתֵּ֨ן כְּפִ֤יר קוֹלוֹ֙ מִמְּעֹ֣נָת֔וֹ בִּלְתִּ֖י אִם־לָכָֽד׃ Does a lion roar in the forest
When it has no prey?
Does a great beast let out a cry from its den
Without having made a capture?
הֲתִפֹּ֤ל צִפּוֹר֙ עַל־פַּ֣ח הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמוֹקֵ֖שׁ אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ הֲיַֽעֲלֶה־פַּח֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וְלָכ֖וֹד לֹ֥א יִלְכּֽוֹד׃ Does a bird drop on the ground—in a trap—
With no snare there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
Unless it has caught something?
אִם־יִתָּקַ֤ע שׁוֹפָר֙ בְּעִ֔יר וְעָ֖ם לֹ֣א יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ אִם־תִּֽהְיֶ֤ה רָעָה֙ בְּעִ֔יר וַיהֹוָ֖ה לֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃ When a ram’s horn is sounded in a town,
Do the people not take alarm?
Can misfortune come to a town
If GOD has not caused it?
כִּ֣י לֹ֧א יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֚י אִם־גָּלָ֣ה סוֹד֔וֹ אֶל־עֲבָדָ֖יו הַנְּבִיאִֽים׃ Indeed, my Sovereign GOD does nothing
Without having revealed the purpose
To God’s servants the prophets.
אַרְיֵ֥ה שָׁאָ֖ג מִ֣י לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהֹוִה֙ דִּבֶּ֔ר מִ֖י לֹ֥א יִנָּבֵֽא׃ A lion has roared,
Who can but fear?
My Sovereign GOD has spoken,
Who can but prophesy?
הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ עַל־אַרְמְנ֣וֹת בְּאַשְׁדּ֔וֹד וְעַֽל־אַרְמְנ֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְאִמְר֗וּ הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ עַל־הָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְר֔וֹן וּרְא֞וּ מְהוּמֹ֤ת רַבּוֹת֙ בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ וַעֲשׁוּקִ֖ים בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃ Proclaim in the fortresses of AshdodaAshdod Septuagint reads “Assyria.”
And in the fortresses of the land of Egypt!
Say:
Gather on the hillbhill Heb. plural; but cf. 4.1; 6.1. of Samaria
And witness the great outrages within her
And the oppression in her midst.
וְלֹא־יָדְע֥וּ עֲשׂוֹת־נְכֹחָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה הָא֥וֹצְרִ֛ים חָמָ֥ס וָשֹׁ֖ד בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ {פ}
They are incapable of doing right
—declares GOD;
They store up lawlessness and rapine
In their fortresses.
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה צַ֖ר וּסְבִ֣יב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהוֹרִ֤יד מִמֵּךְ֙ עֻזֵּ֔ךְ וְנָבֹ֖זּוּ אַרְמְנוֹתָֽיִךְ׃ Assuredly,
Thus said the Sovereign GOD:
An enemy, all about the land!
He shall strip you of your splendor,
And your fortresses shall be plundered.
כֹּה֮ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָה֒ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַצִּ֨יל הָרֹעֶ֜ה מִפִּ֧י הָאֲרִ֛י שְׁתֵּ֥י כְרָעַ֖יִם א֣וֹ בְדַל־אֹ֑זֶן כֵּ֣ן יִנָּצְל֞וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַיֹּֽשְׁבִים֙ בְּשֹׁ֣מְר֔וֹן בִּפְאַ֥ת מִטָּ֖ה וּבִדְמֶ֥שֶׁק עָֽרֶשׂ׃ Thus said GOD:
As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s jaws
Two shank bones or the tip of an ear,cAs a shepherd rescues … tip of an ear Cf. Exod. 22.9, 12.
So shall the Israelites escape
Who dwell in Samaria—
With the legdleg Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of a bed or the headehead Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of a couch.
שִׁמְע֥וּ וְהָעִ֖ידוּ בְּבֵ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַצְּבָאֽוֹת׃ Hear [this], and warn the House of Jacob
—says the Sovereign GOD, the God of Hosts—
כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם פׇּקְדִ֥י פִשְׁעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וּפָֽקַדְתִּי֙ עַל־מִזְבְּח֣וֹת בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וְנִגְדְּעוּ֙ קַרְנ֣וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְנָפְל֖וּ לָאָֽרֶץ׃ That when I punish Israel for its transgressions,
I will wreak judgment on the altarfaltar Heb. plural, but cf. “altar” in next line. of Bethel,
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And shall fall to the ground.
וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י בֵית־הַחֹ֖רֶף עַל־בֵּ֣ית הַקָּ֑יִץ וְאָבְד֞וּ בָּתֵּ֣י הַשֵּׁ֗ן וְסָפ֛וּ בָּתִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} I will wreck the winter palace
Together with the summer palace;
The ivory palaces shall be demolished,
And the great houses shall be destroyed
—declares GOD.