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Am.3:1–2. Hear therefore this word, which the Lord said against you of the house of Israel, and against all the tribe that came out of the land of Egypt, saying, “I have known you from all the tribes of the earth; for this reason I will avenge all your sins on you.” Briefly, you should listen to what the Lord said, remembering this good deed, namely, that I, the Creator and Ruler of all, always had a special providence for you, why I delivered you from the slavery of Egypt: the words: “to all the tribe that came forth from the land of Egypt” do not indicate another people, but since the Lord mentioned Israel, the nine tribes were called Israel by division; then he calls both Judah and Benjamin to listen to what is spoken. Then he showed that, by His permission, the enemy army would make an invasion, confirming this word with some similarities. Am.3:3–6. The food will go together in all sorts of ways, if they don’t know for themselves? Or will a lion roar from his oak grove, unable to catch? Or will the lioness utter her voice from her bed, except to steal something? Or will the bird fall to the ground without a catcher? Or will he fall to the ground and have nothing to do with it? Or sound a trumpet in the city, and the people will not be afraid? Or will there be evil in the city, which the Lord has not created? Just as it is impossible for two people to follow one common path at the same time, without announcing to each other when and why they will go, it is impossible for a lion to roar when there is no prey, or for a bird to fall without a catcher, or for any of the above to happen, so it is also impossible for any punishment to befall when God is not pleased. For, according to common usage, the Prophet called punishment evil. So they are accustomed to calling illnesses, correctional punishments, premature death, famine, war, and the like evil, not because all of this in its very nature is evil, but because it is painful for people and serves as a cause of sadness and crying. The Prophet Jonah presents this to us even more clearly; for he says: “The Lord repented of His evil, which He said” (Jon. 3:10), that is, about the threat of suffering; because here too the Prophet called the threat of punishment evil. And that this is really so, and it is impossible for anyone to be subjected to corrective punishment when this is not pleasing to God, find out this from the deeds themselves; because God, through the Prophets, predicts what tribulations he will bring upon those who sin. Am.3:7. The Lord God will not do anything unless He reveals His punishment to His servant the Prophet. Am.3:8. The lion will roar, and who will not fear? The Lord God is the verb, and who will not prophesy? Therefore, knowing this clearly, accept these predictions as true; because we also tell them to you out of fear. For if the roaring lion brings fear to all who hear, how much more do we prophesy with fear according to God’s command. This is what the Prophet expressed: Am.3:9. Command the countries of Assyria, and the countries of the land of Egypt, and shout: Gather yourselves to Mount Samaria, Because you do not believe the words of the prophets; then I will show in all clarity to the Assyrians and Egyptians those iniquities that they dare to commit within the borders of Samara. and you see the wonderful multitude among it and the violence within it. This is said in derision; because, explaining this word, the Prophet added: violence in it. Am.3:10. And they will not understand that they will be against her, says the Lord, who treasure unrighteousness and passion in their villages. Daring in numerous lies and enslaving the poor, you did not want to know what fruits iniquity brings, but you treasured untruths, reaping from this disaster and captivity. And very opportunely he used the word: “treasured,” thereby teaching that nothing we have done is consigned to oblivion, but, as in some treasury, it is preserved in God’s memory, both what is done well and for good, and the opposite of it. Am.3:11. For this reason the Lord God says: Tire, and your land around will be desolate, and your strength will be taken away from you, and your lands will be plundered. Find out from what is happening to neighboring nations what will happen to you: for it is not you alone, Tire, but the nations living around you will be given over to devastation along with you. Am.3:12. This is what the Lord says: Just as a shepherd plucks out of the mouth of a lion two legs, or the ear of a lion, so the children of Israel who dwell in Samaria will be plucked out as a tribe, and will bow down in Damis. Like a lion, having kidnapped a sheep, devours it all and leaves, leaving only what is unfit for food, and the shepherd is forced to take this as proof to the owner of the sheep that it was eaten by a beast; so the ten tribes will be betrayed to the Assyrians, and those alone will avoid being led into slavery, who, due to their wickedness and weakness, will be despised by their enemies. And the same will happen to Damascus; and he will suffer the same destruction. The words inserted among the speech: “straight tribe” mean that the tribe of Judah will not yet experience these disasters, because Sennacherib, having approached Jerusalem, will return back in shame; destroying his army. Therefore, says the Prophet to the priests, having heard about this, Am.3:13–15. Bear witness to the house of Israel, says the Lord God Almighty: in the day when I will avenge the wickedness of Israel on it, and I will take vengeance on the high places of Bethelech, and I will dig up the horns of the high places, and they will fall to the ground: I will break in pieces and smite the house with the house of the summer, and the ivory bones will perish with the house, and the many houses of the house will be consumed, says the Lord. Not only magnificent, but also poor houses I will crush and set on fire, I will burn, both those built for winter and open dwellings made for summer; for the words: “house from prekleta” Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion translated: “winter house.” Such houses, with walls on all sides, like some kind of wings, warm those who live in them. I will dig up, says God, the Bethel churches, which serve for wickedness. And since not only men, but also wives, indulged in many iniquities; then the Prophet rightly accuses the wives and threatens them with death.