The people who live in the city of Samaria will be afraid and will mourn the loss of the gold bull at Bethaven. They and the priests who serve the idol will weep over it. They will wail when it is stripped of its golden splendor.

The places where Isaac's descendants worship will be destroyed. The holy places of Israel will be left in ruins. I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to an end."

This is what he says: 'Jeroboam will die in battle, and the people of Israel will be taken away from their land into exile.' "

Don't prophesy here at Bethel any more. This is the king's place of worship, the national temple."

But the LORD took me from my work as a shepherd and ordered me to come and prophesy to his people Israel.

And so, Amaziah, the LORD says to you, 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your children will be killed in war. Your land will be divided up and given to others, and you yourself will die in a heathen country. And the people of Israel will certainly be taken away from their own land into exile.' "

But does this mean that what is good caused my death? By no means! It was sin that did it; by using what is good, sin brought death to me, in order that its true nature as sin might be revealed. And so, by means of the commandment sin is shown to be even more terribly sinful.

These people will soon be saying, "We have no king because we did not fear the LORD. But what could a king do for us anyway?"

Their king will be carried off, like a chip of wood on water.

And now the LORD says, "In exactly three years Moab's great wealth will disappear. Of its many people, only a few will survive, and they will be weak."