Every Effect has its Cause

3:1 Listen, you Israelites, to this message which the Lord is proclaiming against1 you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up2 from the land of Egypt: 3:2 “I have chosen3 you alone from all the clans of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”

3:3 Do two walk together without having met?4

3:4 Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey?5

Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?

3:5 Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait?

Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something?

3:6 If an alarm sounds6 in a city, do people not fear?7

If disaster overtakes a8 city, is the Lord not responsible?9

3:7 Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

3:8 A lion has roared!10 Who is not afraid?

The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy?11