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These are the words of Amos. He was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa. Here is the vision he saw concerning Israel. It came to him two years before the earthquake. At that time Uzziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. Here are the words of Amos.

He said,

“The Lord roars like a lion from Jerusalem.
    His voice sounds like thunder from Zion.
The grasslands of the shepherds turn brown.
    The top of Mount Carmel dries up.”

The Lord Judges Israel’s Neighbors

The Lord says,

“The people of Damascus have sinned again and again.
    So I will judge them.
They used threshing sleds with iron teeth
    to crush Gilead’s people.
So I will send fire to destroy the palace of King Hazael.
    It will burn up the forts of his son Ben-Hadad.
I will break down the city gate of Damascus.
    I will kill the king
    who lives in the Valley of Aven, that evil place.
He holds the ruler’s scepter in Beth Eden.
    The people of Aram will be taken away to Kir as prisoners,”
    says the Lord.

The Lord says,

“The people of Gaza have sinned again and again.
    So I will judge them.
They captured whole communities.
    They sold them to Edom.
So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Gaza.
    It will burn up its forts.
I will kill the king of Ashdod.
    He holds the ruler’s scepter in Ashkelon.
I will use my power against Ekron.
    Every single Philistine will die,”
    says the Lord and King.

The Lord says,

“The people of Tyre have sinned again and again.
    So I will judge them.
They captured whole communities.
    They sold them to Edom.
They did not honor the treaty
    of friendship they had made.
10 So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Tyre.
    It will burn up its forts.”

11 The Lord says,

“The people of Edom have sinned again and again.
    So I will judge them.
They chased Israel with swords
    that were ready to strike them down.
    They killed the women of the land.
They were angry all the time.
    Their anger was like a fire that blazed out.
    It could not be stopped.
12 So I will send fire to destroy the city of Teman.
    It will burn up Bozrah’s forts.”

13 The Lord says,

“The people of Ammon have sinned again and again.
    So I will judge them.
They ripped open the pregnant women in Gilead.
    They wanted to add land to their territory.
14 So I will set fire to destroy the walls of Rabbah.
    It will burn up its forts.
War cries will be heard on that day of battle.
    Strong winds will blow on that stormy day.
15 Ammon’s king will be carried away.
    So will his officials,”
    says the Lord.

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