Amos

1 The time of the prophecy of Amos. 3 The word of the Lord against Damascus, 6 The Philistines, Tyre, Idumea, and Ammon.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen at [a]Tekoa, which he saw upon Israel, in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of [b]Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the [c]earthquake.

And he said, The Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top [d]of Carmel shall wither.

¶ Thus saith the Lord, For [e]three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they have [f]threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron.

Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the [g]palaces of Ben-Hadad.

I will break also the bars of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven: and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth Eden, and the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto [h]Kir, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they [i]carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them up in Edom.

Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon, and turn mine hand to Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God.

¶ Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they shut the whole captivity in Edom, and have not remembered the [j]brotherly covenant.

10 Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

11 ¶ Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn to it, because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and [k]did cast off all pity, and his anger spoiled him evermore, and his wrath watched him [l][always].

12 Therefore will I send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the places of Bozrah.

13 ¶ Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they [m]have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.

14 Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, and with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind.

15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:1 Which was a town five miles from Jerusalem in Judea, but he prophesied in Israel.
  2. Amos 1:1 In his days the kingdom of Israel did most flourish.
  3. Amos 1:1 Which as Josephus writeth, was when Uzziah would have usurped the Priest’s office, and therefore was smitten with the leprosy.
  4. Amos 1:2 Whatsoever is fruitful and pleasant in Israel, shall shortly perish.
  5. Amos 1:3 He showeth first that all the people round about should be destroyed for their manifold sins: which are meant by three and four, which make seven, because the Israelites should the more deeply consider God’s judgments toward them.
  6. Amos 1:3 If the Syrians shall not be spared for committing this cruelty against one city, it is not possible that Israel should escape punishment which hath committed so many and grievous sins against God and man.
  7. Amos 1:4 The antiquity of their buildings shall not avoid my judgments, read Jer. 49:27.
  8. Amos 1:5 Tiglath-Pileser led the Assyrians captive, and brought them to Cyrene, which he calleth here Kir.
  9. Amos 1:6 They joined themselves with the Edomites their enemies, which carried them away captives.
  10. Amos 1:9 For Esau (of whom came the Edomites) and Jacob were brethren, therefore they ought to have admonished them of their brotherly friendship, and not to have provoked them to hatred.
  11. Amos 1:11 Hebrew, corrupt his compassions.
  12. Amos 1:11 He was a continual enemy unto him.
  13. Amos 1:13 He noteth the great cruelty of the Ammonites, that spared not the women, but most tyrannously tormented them, and yet the Ammonites came of Lot, who was of the household of Abraham.

The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa(A)—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake,(B) when Uzziah(C) was king of Judah and Jeroboam(D) son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel.(E)

He said:

“The Lord roars(F) from Zion
    and thunders(G) from Jerusalem;(H)
the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
    and the top of Carmel(I) withers.”(J)

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Damascus,(K)
    even for four, I will not relent.(L)
Because she threshed Gilead
    with sledges having iron teeth,
I will send fire(M) on the house of Hazael(N)
    that will consume the fortresses(O) of Ben-Hadad.(P)
I will break down the gate(Q) of Damascus;
    I will destroy the king who is in[b] the Valley of Aven[c]
and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.(R)
    The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,(S)
says the Lord.(T)

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Gaza,(U)
    even for four, I will not relent.(V)
Because she took captive whole communities
    and sold them to Edom,(W)
I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
    that will consume her fortresses.
I will destroy the king[d] of Ashdod(X)
    and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand(Y) against Ekron,
    till the last of the Philistines(Z) are dead,”(AA)
says the Sovereign Lord.(AB)

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Tyre,(AC)
    even for four, I will not relent.(AD)
Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,
    disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,(AE)
10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
    that will consume her fortresses.(AF)

11 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Edom,(AG)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he pursued his brother with a sword(AH)
    and slaughtered the women of the land,
because his anger raged continually
    and his fury flamed unchecked,(AI)
12 I will send fire on Teman(AJ)
    that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.(AK)

13 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Ammon,(AL)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he ripped open the pregnant women(AM) of Gilead
    in order to extend his borders,
14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah(AN)
    that will consume(AO) her fortresses
amid war cries(AP) on the day of battle,
    amid violent winds(AQ) on a stormy day.
15 Her king[e] will go into exile,
    he and his officials together,(AR)
says the Lord.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash
  2. Amos 1:5 Or the inhabitants of
  3. Amos 1:5 Aven means wickedness.
  4. Amos 1:8 Or inhabitants
  5. Amos 1:15 Or / Molek