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Destruction of Israel

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. And even if they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good.” And thus will do the Lord Yahweh of hosts, who touches the earth and it melts, and all of those living in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile and it sinks down like the Nile of Egypt, who builds his upper chambers in the heavens and lays the foundation of his vault on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them on the surface of the earth—Yahweh is his name. “Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel?” declares[a] Yahweh. “Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans[b] from Kir? Look, the eyes of my Lord Yahweh are on the kingdom of sin, and I will destroy it from the surface of the earth. However, I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares[c] Yahweh. “Yes, look, I am going to command and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations like one who shakes with a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground. 10 All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, ‘Evil will not overtake or confront us.’

Restoration of Israel

11 On that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and I will repair its breaches and will raise up its ruins and will build it like the days of old. 12 Thus they may take possession of the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,”[d] declares[e] Yahweh, who does this. 13 “Look, days are coming,” declares[f] Yahweh, “when the one who plows will overtake the one who reaps, the one who treads grapes will catch up with the one who sows the seed. And the mountains will drip sweet wine and all of the hills will flow with it. 14 And I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they will rebuild the desolated cities and will inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and will drink their wine, and they will make gardens and will eat their fruit. 15 And I will plant them on their land and they will not be uprooted again from their land that I have given to them,” says Yahweh your God.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 9:7 Literally “a declaration of”
  2. Amos 9:7 Literally “Aram”
  3. Amos 9:8 Literally “a declaration of”
  4. Amos 9:12 Literally “who my name is called over them”
  5. Amos 9:12 Literally “a declaration of”
  6. Amos 9:13 Literally “a declaration of”

Israel to be Destroyed

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar as he was saying,

“Strike the doorposts
    so that the thresholds tremble,
        bringing them down on the heads of all of them.
Those who survive I will kill with the sword.
    Those who flee will not escape.
        There will be no deliverance for the fugitives.

“Even if they burrow into Sheol,[a]
    from there my hand will find them.
Even if they ascend to the heavens,
    from there I will bring them down.
Even if they hide at the top of Mount[b] Carmel,
    from there I will search and seize them.
Even if they hide from my sight in the depths of the sea,
    from there I will order the serpent to strike them.
Even if they go into exile among their enemies,
    from there I will order the sword to kill them.
I will fix my gaze on them to inflict disaster,
    and not to do good.[c]

“The Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
who is touching the earth so that it melts
    and all of its inhabitants mourn there—
        the land rises like the Nile[d] River,
        but sinks like the river of Egypt—
who is building his stairway to heaven
    and setting its foundation on earth;
who is calling for the waters of the sea
    and pouring them out over the surface of the land—
        the Lord is his name!

“Aren’t you people of Israel like the people of Cush to me?”
    declares the Lord.
“I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, did I not,
    as well as the Philistines from Caphtor[e]
        and the Arameans from Kir?
Look! The eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom.
    I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
but I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,”
    declares the Lord.
“Look! I’m giving the order:
    I will sift the house of Israel throughout all the nations,
        as one sifts with a sieve,
    yet not a single kernel will reach the ground!
10 All sinners among my people will die by the sword,
    especially all who are saying,
        ‘Disaster will not come upon or conquer us!’”

Israel to be Restored

11 “At that time I will restore David’s fallen tent,
    restoring its torn places.
I will restore its ruins,
    rebuilding it as it was long ago,
12 so my people[f] may inherit the remnant of Edom
    and all of the nations that bear my name,”
        declares the Lord who is bringing this about.

13 “Look! The days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when the one who sows will overtake the harvester
    and the treader of grapes will overtake[g] the planter.
Fresh wine will drip down from the mountains,
    cascading down from the hills.
14 I will surely restore my people Israel;
    they will rebuild the ruined cities
        and inhabit them.[h]
They will plant vineyards
    and drink the wine from them.
They will plant gardens
    and eat the fruit from them.
15 I will plant the people of Israel[i] in their own land,
    never again to be torn out of their land
        that I gave them,”
    says the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 9:2 I.e. the realm of the dead
  2. Amos 9:3 The Heb. lacks Mount
  3. Amos 9:4 Lit. them for evil and not for good.
  4. Amos 9:5 The Heb. lacks Nile
  5. Amos 9:7 I.e. possibly Crete
  6. Amos 9:12 Lit. so they
  7. Amos 9:13 The Heb. lacks will overtake
  8. Amos 9:14 The Heb. lacks them
  9. Amos 9:15 Lit. plant them