1 Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 The altar is perhaps the altar at Bethel.
3 Or “the capitals.” The Hebrew singular form is collective.
4 Heb “cut them off on the head of all of them.” The translation assumes the objective suffix on the verb refers to the tops of the pillars and that the following prepositional phrase refers to the people standing beneath. Another option is to take this phrase as referring to the pillars, in which case one could translate, “Knock all the tops of the pillars off.”
5 Heb “the remnant of them.” One could possibly translate, “every last one of them” (cf. “to the last man”). This probably refers to those who survive the collapse of the temple, which may symbolize the northern kingdom.
6 Heb “a fugitive belonging to them will not run away.”
7 Heb “a survivor belonging to them will not escape.”
8 Heb “into Sheol” (so , , ), that is, the land of the dead localized in Hebrew thought in the earth’s core or the grave. Cf. “hell”; , “the place of the dead”; “the depths of the grave.”
9 Heb “from before my eyes.”
10 Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the ם (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).
11 If the article indicates a definite serpent, then the mythological Sea Serpent, symbolic of the world’s chaotic forces, is probably in view. See Job 26:13 and Isa 27:1 (where it is also called Leviathan). Elsewhere in the OT this serpent is depicted as opposing the Lord, but this text implies that even this powerful enemy of God is ultimately subject to his sovereign will.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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

“Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,

and shatter them on the heads of all the people;

and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword;

not one of them shall flee away;

not one of them shall escape.

“If they dig into Sheol,

from there shall my hand take them;

if they climb up to heaven,

from there I will bring them down.

If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,

from there I will search them out and take them;

and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,

there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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 of all the people;

those who are left I will kill with the sword.

Not one will get away,

none will escape.

Though they dig down to the depths below,

from there my hand will take them.

Though they climb up to the heavens above,

from there I will bring them down.

Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,

there I will hunt them down and seize them.

Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,

there I will command the serpent to bite them.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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

Strike the capitals of the pillars

so that the thresholds shake;

knock them down on the heads of all the people.

Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword.

None of those who flee will get away;

none of the fugitives will escape.

If they dig down to Sheol,

from there my hand will take them;

if they climb up to heaven,

from there I will bring them down.

If they hide

on the top of Carmel,

from there I will track them down

and seize them;

if they conceal themselves

from my sight on the sea floor,

from there I will command

the sea serpent to bite them.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then I saw a vision of the Lord standing beside the altar. He said,

“Strike the tops of the Temple columns,

so that the foundation will shake.

Bring down the roof

on the heads of the people below.

I will kill with the sword those who survive.

No one will escape!

“Even if they dig down to the place of the dead,

I will reach down and pull them up.

Even if they climb up into the heavens,

I will bring them down.

Even if they hide at the very top of Mount Carmel,

I will search them out and capture them.

Even if they hide at the bottom of the ocean,

I will send the sea serpent after them to bite them.

I saw my Lord standing by the altar and he said, “Strike the capitals so that the thresholds will shake, and shatter them on the head of all of them, and I will kill the rest of them with the sword. A fugitive belonging to them will not run away, and a survivor belonging to them will not escape. If they dig into Sheol, from there my hand will take them, and even if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. And even if they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search and will take them, and even if they hide from before my eyes at the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the sea serpent and it will bite them.

KJV 1900King James Version

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

Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake:

And cut them in the head, all of them;

And I will slay the last of them with the sword:

He that fleeth of them shall not flee away,

And he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them;

Though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel,

I will search and take them out thence;

And though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea,

Thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

Public Domain

Amos 9:1–3

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Footnotes

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

NIVNew International Version (2011)

CSBChristian Standard Bible

NLTNew Living Translation

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

KJV 1900King James Version