Amos 1

¹1The Message of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, that he received on behalf of Israel. It came to him in visions during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II son of Joash was king of Israel, two years before the big earthquake.

Swallowing the Same Old Lies

²The Message:

God roars from Zion,

shouts from Jerusalem!

The thunderclap voice withers the pastures tended by shepherds,

shrivels Mount Carmel’s proud peak.

^3–5God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Damascus

—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.

She pounded Gilead to a pulp, pounded her senseless

with iron hammers and mauls.

For that, I’m setting the palace of Hazael on fire.

I’m torching Ben-hadad’s forts.

I’m going to smash the Damascus gates

and banish the crime king who lives in Sin Valley,

the vice boss who gives orders from Paradise Palace.

The people of the land will be sent back

to where they came from—to Kir.”

God’s Decree.

^6–8God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Gaza

—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.

She deported whole towns

and then sold the people to Edom.

For that, I’m burning down the walls of Gaza,

burning up all her forts.

I’ll banish the crime king from Ashdod,

the vice boss from Ashkelon.

I’ll raise my fist against Ekron,

and what’s left of the Philistines will die.”

God’s Decree.

^9–10God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Tyre

—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.

She deported whole towns to Edom,

breaking the treaty she had with her kin.

For that, I’m burning down the walls of Tyre,

burning up all her forts.”

^11–12God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Edom

—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.

She hunts down her brother to murder him.

She has no pity, she has no heart.

Her anger rampages day and night.

Her meanness never takes a time-out.

For that, I’m burning down her capital, Teman,

burning up the forts of Bozrah.”

^13–15God’s Message:

“Because of the three great sins of Ammon

—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.

She ripped open pregnant women in Gilead

to get more land for herself.

For that, I’m burning down the walls of her capital, Rabbah,

burning up her forts.

Battle shouts! War whoops!

with a tornado to finish things off!

The king has been carted off to exile,

the king and his princes with him.”

God’s Decree.