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The Lord Will Sift Israel out of All the Nations

I saw Adonay standing by the altar, and he said:

Strike the tops of the pillars so that the foundations shake.
    Cut off everyone’s head.
        I will kill with a sword all who are left.
    None of them will be able to get away.
    None of them will be able to escape.

Even if they dig their way into Sheol,
    my hand will take them from there.
    Even if they go up to heaven,
    I will bring them down from there.
Even if they hide on top of Mount Carmel,
    I will look for them and take them from there.
    Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea,
    I will command a sea snake to bite them.
Even if they go into exile ahead of their enemies,
    I will command a sword to kill them.
    I will keep my eyes on them
        so that I can bring disaster on them and not help them.

Adonay Yahweh Tsebaoth touches the earth.
    It quakes, and all who live on it mourn.
        All of it rises like the Nile
            and sinks like Egypt’s river.
The one who builds stairs up to heaven
    and sets their foundation on the earth,
    the one who calls for the water in the sea
    and pours it over the face of the earth—
    His name is Yahweh.

You people of Israel are like the people from Sudan, says Yahweh.
    Didn’t I bring Israel from Egypt?
    Didn’t I bring the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir?

I, Adonay Yahweh, have my eyes on this sinful kingdom.
    I will wipe it off the face of the earth.
    But I won’t totally destroy the descendants of Jacob, declares Yahweh.
I’m going to give the order.
    I will sift the nation of Israel out of all the nations
    as if I were using a sieve.
    Not one pebble will fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners among my people are thinking,
    “Destruction will not catch up to us or run into us.”
        In spite of this, they will be killed with swords.

The Lord Will Restore His People

11 On that day I will set up David’s fallen tent.
    I will repair the holes in it.
    I will restore its ruined places.
    I will rebuild them as they were a long time ago.
12 They will capture the few survivors of Edom
    and all the other nations that were under my authority,
        declares Yahweh, who will do these things.

13 The days are going to come, declares Yahweh,
    when the one who plows will catch up to the one who harvests,
        and the one who stomps on grapes will catch up to the one who plants.
            New wine will drip from the mountains
                and flow from all the hills.
14 I will restore my people Israel.
    They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards and drink the wine from them.
    They will plant gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant the people of Israel in their land,
    and they won’t be uprooted again from the land that I gave them,
        says Yahweh your Elohim.

Israel to Be Destroyed

I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

“Strike the tops of the pillars
    so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads(A) of all the people;
    those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
    none will escape.(B)
Though they dig down to the depths below,(C)
    from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,(D)
    from there I will bring them down.(E)
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,(F)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.(G)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,(H)
    there I will command the serpent(I) to bite them.(J)
Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
    there I will command the sword(K) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
    for harm(L) and not for good.(M)(N)

The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,(O)
    and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
    then sinks like the river of Egypt;(P)
he builds his lofty palace[a](Q) in the heavens
    and sets its foundation[b] on the earth;
he calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out over the face of the land—
    the Lord is his name.(R)

“Are not you Israelites
    the same to me as the Cushites[c]?”(S)
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
    the Philistines(T) from Caphtor[d](U)
    and the Arameans from Kir?(V)

“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
    are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy(W) it
    from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
    the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.(X)
“For I will give the command,
    and I will shake the people of Israel
    among all the nations
as grain(Y) is shaken in a sieve,(Z)
    and not a pebble will reach the ground.(AA)
10 All the sinners among my people
    will die by the sword,(AB)
all those who say,
    ‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’(AC)

Israel’s Restoration

11 “In that day

“I will restore David’s(AD) fallen shelter(AE)
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins(AF)
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,(AG)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(AH)
    and all the nations that bear my name,[e](AI)
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(AJ)

13 “The days are coming,”(AK) declares the Lord,

“when the reaper(AL) will be overtaken by the plowman(AM)
    and the planter by the one treading(AN) grapes.
New wine(AO) will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,(AP)
14     and I will bring(AQ) my people Israel back from exile.[f](AR)

“They will rebuild the ruined cities(AS) and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards(AT) and drink their wine;
    they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(AU)
15 I will plant(AV) Israel in their own land,(AW)
    never again to be uprooted(AX)
    from the land I have given them,”(AY)

says the Lord your God.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Amos 9:7 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  4. Amos 9:7 That is, Crete
  5. Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
  6. Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel