Amos 1–2

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 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 Carmelⁱ withers.”^j

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Damascus,^a

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.^b

Because she threshed Gilead

with sledges having iron teeth,

I will send fire^c on the house of Hazael^d

that will consume the fortresses^e of Ben-Hadad.^f

I will break down the gate^g of Damascus;

I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven

and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.^h

The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,ⁱ”

says the Lord.^j

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Gaza,^k

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.^l

Because she took captive whole communities

and sold them to Edom,^m

I will send fire on the walls of Gaza

that will consume her fortresses.

I will destroy the king of Ashdodⁿ

and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.

I will turn my hand^o against Ekron,

till the last of the Philistines^p are dead,”^q

says the Sovereign Lord.^r

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Tyre,^s

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.^t

Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,

disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,^u

I will send fire on the walls of Tyre

that will consume her fortresses.^v”

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Edom,^w

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.

Because he pursued his brother with a sword^x

and slaughtered the women of the land,

because his anger raged continually

and his fury flamed unchecked,^y

I will send fire on Teman^z

that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.^a”

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Ammon,^b

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.

Because he ripped open the pregnant women^c of Gilead

in order to extend his borders,

I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah^d

that will consume^e her fortresses

amid war cries^f on the day of battle,

amid violent winds^g on a stormy day.

Their king will go into exile,

he and his officials together,^h”

says the Lord.ⁱ

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Moab,^j

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.

Because he burned to lime^k

the bones of Edom’s king,

I will send fire on Moab

that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth.^l

Moab will go down in great tumult

amid war cries^m and the blast of the trumpet.ⁿ

I will destroy her ruler^o

and kill all her officials with him,”^p

says the Lord.^q

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Judah,^r

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.

Because they have rejected the law^s of the Lord

and have not kept his decrees,^t

because they have been led astray^u by false gods,^v

the gods their ancestors followed,^w

I will send fire^x on Judah

that will consume the fortresses^y of Jerusalem.^z”

Judgment on Israel

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,

even for four, I will not turn back ^⌈my wrath^⌈.^a

They sell the innocent for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals.^b

They trample on the heads of the poor

as on the dust of the ground

and deny justice to the oppressed.

Father and son use the same girl

and so profane my holy name.^c

They lie down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge.^d

In the house of their god

they drink wine^e taken as fines.^f

“Yet I destroyed the Amorites^g before them,

though they were tall^h as the cedars

and strong as the oaks.ⁱ

I destroyed their fruit above

and their roots^j below.

I brought you up out of Egypt^k

and led^l you forty years in the wilderness^m

to give you the land of the Amorites.ⁿ

“I also raised up prophets^o from among your children

and Nazirites^p from among your youths.

Is this not true, people of Israel?”

declares the Lord.

“But you made the Nazirites drink wine

and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.^q

“Now then, I will crush you

as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.^r

The swift will not escape,^s

the strong^t will not muster their strength,

and the warrior will not save his life.^u

The archer^v will not stand his ground,

the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,

and the horseman^w will not save his life.^x

Even the bravest warriors^y

will flee naked on that day,”

declares the Lord.