Daily Bread

² “You only have I chosen^(C)
    of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish^(D) you
    for all your sins.^(E)”

³ Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ Does a lion roar^(F) in the thicket
    when it has no prey?^(G)
Does it growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing?
⁵ Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
    when no bait^(H) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
⁶ When a trumpet^(I) sounds in a city,
    do not the people tremble?
When disaster^(J) comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it?^(K)

⁷ Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan^(L)
    to his servants the prophets.^(M)

⁸ The lion^(N) has roared^(O)—
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?^(P)

⁹ Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod^(Q)
    and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;^(R)
    see the great unrest within her
    and the oppression among her people.”

¹⁰ “They do not know how to do right,^(S)” declares the Lord,
    “who store up in their fortresses^(T)
    what they have plundered^(U) and looted.”

“An enemy will overrun your land,
    pull down your strongholds
    and plunder your fortresses.^(V)”

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s^(W) mouth
    only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,
    with only the head of a bed
    and a piece of fabric^[a] from a couch.^[b](X)”

¹⁴ “On the day I punish^(Z) Israel for her sins,
    I will destroy the altars of Bethel;^(AA)
the horns^(AB) of the altar will be cut off
    and fall to the ground.
¹⁵ I will tear down the winter house^(AC)
    along with the summer house;^(AD)
the houses adorned with ivory^(AE) will be destroyed
    and the mansions^(AF) will be demolished,^(AG)”
declares the Lord.^(AH)