Vision of the Summer Fruit

Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, a basket of summer fruit. And He said, “Amos, what do you see?”

So I said, “A basket of summer fruit.”

Then the Lord said to me:

(A)“The end has come upon My people Israel;
(B)I will not pass by them anymore.
And (C)the songs of the temple
Shall be wailing in that day,”
Says the Lord God
“Many dead bodies everywhere,
(D)They shall be thrown out in silence.”

Hear this, you who [a]swallow up the needy,
And make the poor of the land fail,

Saying:

“When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain?
And (E)the Sabbath,
That we may [b]trade wheat?
(F)Making the ephah small and the shekel large,
Falsifying the scales by (G)deceit,
That we may buy the poor for (H)silver,
And the needy for a pair of sandals—
Even sell the bad wheat?”

The Lord has sworn by (I)the pride of Jacob:
“Surely (J)I will never forget any of their works.
(K)Shall the land not tremble for this,
And everyone mourn who dwells in it?
All of it shall swell like [c]the River,
Heave and subside
(L)Like the River of Egypt.

“And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord God,
(M)“That I will make the sun go down at noon,
And I will darken the earth in [d]broad daylight;
10 I will turn your feasts into (N)mourning,
(O)And all your songs into lamentation;
(P)I will bring sackcloth on every waist,
And baldness on every head;
I will make it like mourning for an only son,
And its end like a bitter day.

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But (Q)of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall (R)not find it.

13 “In that day the fair virgins
And strong young men
Shall faint from thirst.
14 Those who (S)swear by (T)the [e]sin of Samaria,
Who say,
‘As your god lives, O Dan!’
And, ‘As the way of (U)Beersheba lives!’
They shall fall and never rise again.”

The Destruction of Israel

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

“Strike the [f]doorposts, that the thresholds may shake,
And (V)break them on the heads of them all.
I will slay the last of them with the sword.
(W)He who flees from them shall not get away,
And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered.

“Though(X) they dig into [g]hell,
From there My hand shall take them;
(Y)Though they climb up to heaven,
From there I will bring them down;
And though they (Z)hide themselves on top of Carmel,
From there I will search and take them;
Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea,
From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them;
Though they go into captivity before their enemies,
From there (AA)I will command the sword,
And it shall slay them.
(AB)I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.”

The Lord God of hosts,
He who touches the earth and it (AC)melts,
(AD)And all who dwell there mourn;
All of it shall swell like [h]the River,
And subside like the River of Egypt.
He who builds His (AE)layers[i] in the sky,
And has founded His strata in the earth;
Who (AF)calls for the waters of the sea,
And pours them out on the face of the earth—
(AG)The Lord is His name.

Are you not like the [j]people of Ethiopia to Me,
O children of Israel?” says the Lord.
“Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,
The (AH)Philistines from (AI)Caphtor,[k]
And the Syrians from (AJ)Kir?

“Behold, (AK)the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I (AL)will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord.

“For surely I will command,
And will [l]sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
(AM)Yet not the smallest [m]grain shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
(AN)Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’

Israel Will Be Restored

11 “On(AO) that day I will raise up
The [n]tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And [o]repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 (AP)That they may possess the remnant of (AQ)Edom,[p]
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing.

13 “Behold, (AR)the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
(AS)The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
14 (AT)I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
(AU)They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
15 I will plant them in their land,
(AV)And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 8:4 Or trample on, Amos 2:7
  2. Amos 8:5 Lit. open
  3. Amos 8:8 The Nile; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Syr., Vg. River (cf. 9:5); MT the light
  4. Amos 8:9 Lit. a day of light
  5. Amos 8:14 Or Ashima, a Syrian goddess
  6. Amos 9:1 Capitals of the pillars
  7. Amos 9:2 Or Sheol
  8. Amos 9:5 The Nile
  9. Amos 9:6 Or stairs
  10. Amos 9:7 Lit. sons of the Ethiopians
  11. Amos 9:7 Crete
  12. Amos 9:9 shake
  13. Amos 9:9 Lit. pebble
  14. Amos 9:11 Lit. booth; a figure of a deposed dynasty
  15. Amos 9:11 Lit. wall up its breaches
  16. Amos 9:12 LXX mankind

A Basket of Ripe Fruit

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(A) a basket of ripe fruit. “What do you see,(B) Amos?(C)” he asked.

“A basket(D) of ripe fruit,” I answered.

Then the Lord said to me, “The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.(E)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing.[a](F) Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!(G)

Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(H) of the land,(I)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(J) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(K) wheat?”(L)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(M) with dishonest scales,(N)
buying the poor(O) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(P)

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob:(Q) “I will never forget(R) anything they have done.(S)

“Will not the land tremble(T) for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.(U)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.(V)
10 I will turn your religious festivals(W) into mourning
    and all your singing into weeping.(X)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth(Y)
    and shave(Z) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son(AA)
    and the end of it like a bitter day.(AB)

11 “The days are coming,”(AC) declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine(AD) of hearing the words of the Lord.(AE)
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.(AF)

13 “In that day

“the lovely young women and strong young men(AG)
    will faint because of thirst.(AH)
14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria(AI)
    who say, ‘As surely as your god lives, Dan,’(AJ)
    or, ‘As surely as the god[b] of Beersheba(AK) lives’—
    they will fall,(AL) never to rise again.(AM)

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(AN) of all the people;
    those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
    none will escape.(AO)
Though they dig down to the depths below,(AP)
    from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,(AQ)
    from there I will bring them down.(AR)
Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,(AS)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.(AT)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,(AU)
    there I will command the serpent(AV) to bite them.(AW)
Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
    there I will command the sword(AX) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
    for harm(AY) and not for good.(AZ)(BA)

The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,(BB)
    and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
    then sinks like the river of Egypt;(BC)
he builds his lofty palace[c](BD) in the heavens
    and sets its foundation[d] 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.(BE)

“Are not you Israelites
    the same to me as the Cushites[e]?”(BF)
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
    the Philistines(BG) from Caphtor[f](BH)
    and the Arameans from Kir?(BI)

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

Israel’s Restoration

11 “In that day

“I will restore David’s(BQ) fallen shelter(BR)
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins(BS)
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,(BT)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(BU)
    and all the nations that bear my name,[g](BV)
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(BW)

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

“when the reaper(BY) will be overtaken by the plowman(BZ)
    and the planter by the one treading(CA) grapes.
New wine(CB) will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,(CC)
14     and I will bring(CD) my people Israel back from exile.[h](CE)

“They will rebuild the ruined cities(CF) and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards(CG) and drink their wine;
    they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(CH)
15 I will plant(CI) Israel in their own land,(CJ)
    never again to be uprooted(CK)
    from the land I have given them,”(CL)

says the Lord your God.(CM)

Footnotes

  1. Amos 8:3 Or “the temple singers will wail
  2. Amos 8:14 Hebrew the way
  3. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Amos 9:7 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  6. Amos 9:7 That is, Crete
  7. Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
  8. Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.
Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
(A)For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in [a]darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.
(B)Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

(C)I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I [b]muse on the work of Your hands.
I spread out my hands to You;
(D)My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:3 dark places
  2. Psalm 143:5 ponder

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

The Wisdom of Agur

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

(A)Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
I neither learned wisdom
Nor have (B)knowledge of the Holy One.

(C)Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
(D)Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,
If you know?

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Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.[a]
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(B)
Who has gone up(C) to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(E) in a cloak?(F)
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(G) and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:

First Seal: The Conqueror

Now (A)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the [a]seals; and I heard (B)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, (C)a white horse. (D)He who sat on it had a bow; (E)and a crown was given to him, and he went out (F)conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

When He opened the second seal, (G)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come [b]and see.” (H)Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to (I)take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

When He opened the third seal, (J)I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, (K)a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of (L)scales[c] in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A [d]quart of wheat for a [e]denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and (M)do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

When He opened the fourth seal, (N)I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” (O)So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And [f]power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, (P)to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, (Q)and by the beasts of the earth.

Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under (R)the altar (S)the souls of those who had been slain (T)for the word of God and for (U)the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, (V)“How long, O Lord, (W)holy and true, (X)until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a (Y)white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them (Z)that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances

12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, (AA)and [g]behold, there was a great earthquake; and (AB)the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the [h]moon became like blood. 13 (AC)And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 (AD)Then the sky [i]receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and (AE)every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the (AF)kings of the earth, the great men, [j]the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, (AG)hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 (AH)and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who (AI)sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, (AJ)and who is able to stand?”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:1 NU, M seven seals
  2. Revelation 6:3 NU, M omit and see
  3. Revelation 6:5 balances
  4. Revelation 6:6 Gr. choinix, about 1 quart
  5. Revelation 6:6 About 1 day’s wage for a worker
  6. Revelation 6:8 authority
  7. Revelation 6:12 NU, M omit behold
  8. Revelation 6:12 NU, M whole moon
  9. Revelation 6:14 Or split apart
  10. Revelation 6:15 NU, M the commanders, the rich men,

The Seals

I watched as the Lamb(A) opened the first of the seven seals.(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(C) say in a voice like thunder,(D) “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(G)

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(H) say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(M) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](N) and do not damage(O) the oil and the wine!”

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(P) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(S)

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(T) the altar(U) the souls of those who had been slain(V) because of the word of God(W) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(X) Sovereign Lord,(Y) holy and true,(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(AA) and avenge our blood?”(AB) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.(AD)

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(AE) The sun turned black(AF) like sackcloth(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(AK)

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(AM) 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us(AN) and hide us[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day(AP) of their[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
  2. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  3. Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
  4. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  5. Revelation 6:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 12:10; 19:10.
  6. Revelation 6:16 See Hosea 10:8.
  7. Revelation 6:17 Some manuscripts his