2.0 KiB
God's Reasons for Punishing Israel
Chapter 3
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Listen to this message that the Lord has spoken against you, Israelites, against the entire clan that I brought from the land of Egypt:
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I have known only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.
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Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?
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Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl from its lair unless it has captured something?
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Does a bird land in a trap on the ground if there is no bait for it? Does a trap spring from the ground when it has caught nothing?
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If a ram's horn is blown in a city, aren't people afraid? If a disaster occurs in a city, hasn't the Lord done it?
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Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his counsel to his servants the prophets.
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A lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy?
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Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt: Assemble on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great turmoil in the city and the acts of oppression within it.
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The people are incapable of doing right-- this is the Lord's declaration-- those who store up violence and destruction in their citadels.
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Therefore, the Lord God says: An enemy will surround the land; he will destroy your strongholds and plunder your citadels.
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The Lord says: As the shepherd snatches two legs or a piece of an ear from the lion's mouth, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be rescued with only the corner of a bed or the cushion of a couch.
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Listen and testify against the house of Jacob-- this is the declaration of the Lord God, the God of Armies.
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I will punish the altars of Bethel on the day I punish Israel for its crimes; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.
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I will demolish the winter house and the summer house; the houses inlaid with ivory will be destroyed, and the great houses will come to an end. This is the Lord's declaration.