¹ Ascoltate questa parola che l’Eterno pronunzia contro di voi, o figliuoli d’Israele, contro tutta la famiglia ch’io trassi fuori dal paese d’Egitto:

² Voi soli ho conosciuto fra tutte le famiglie della terra; perciò io vi punirò per tutte le vostre iniquità.

³ Due uomini camminano eglino assieme, se prima non si sono concertati?

⁴ Il leone rugge egli nella foresta, se non ha una preda? il leoncello fa egli udir la sua voce dalla sua tana, se non ha preso nulla?

⁵ L’uccello cade egli nella rete in terra, se non gli è tesa un insidia? La tagliuola scatta essa dal suolo, se non ha preso qualcosa?

⁶ La tromba suona essa in una città, senza che il popolo tremi? Una sciagura piomba ella sopra una città, senza che l’Eterno ne sia l’autore?

⁷ Poiché il Signore, l’Eterno, non fa nulla, senza rivelare il suo segreto ai suoi servi, i profeti.

⁸ Il leone rugge, chi non temerà? Il Signore, l’Eterno, parla, chi non profeterà?

⁹ Proclamate questo sui palazzi d’Asdod e sui palazzi del paese d’Egitto; dite: "Adunatevi sui monti di Samaria, e vedete che grandi disordini esistono in mezzo ad essa, e quali oppressioni han luogo nel suo seno".

¹⁰ Essi non sanno fare ciò ch’è retto, dice l’Eterno; accumulano nei loro palazzi i frutti della violenza e della rapina.

¹¹ perciò, così parla il Signore, l’Eterno: Ecco il nemico, tutt’attorno al paese; egli abbatterà la tua forza, e i tuoi palazzi saran saccheggiati.

¹² Così parla l’Eterno: Come il pastore strappa dalla gola del leone due gambe o un pezzo d’orecchio, così scamperanno i figliuoli d’Israele che in Samaria stanno ora seduti sull’angolo d’un divano o sui damaschi d’un letto.

¹³ Ascoltate questo e attestatelo alla casa di Giacobbe! dice il Signore, l’Eterno, l’Iddio degli eserciti:

¹⁴ (H3-13) Il giorno che io punirò Israele delle sue trasgressioni, punirò anche gli altari di Bethel; e i corni dell’altare saranno spezzati e cadranno al suolo.

¹⁵ (H3-14) E abbatterò le case d’inverno e le case d’estate; le case d’avorio saranno distrutte, e le grandi case spariranno, dice l’Eterno.

²¹ poiché non è dalla volontà dell’uomo che venne mai alcuna profezia, ma degli uomini hanno parlato da parte di Dio, perché sospinti dallo Spirito Santo.

¹ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

² And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

³ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

⁴ For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

⁵ And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

⁶ And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

⁷ And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

⁸ (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

⁹ The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

¹⁰ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

¹¹ Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

¹² But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

¹³ And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

¹⁴ Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

¹⁵ Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

¹⁶ But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

²⁰ For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

²¹ For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

²² But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.