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Amos 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Amos 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 9
Fifth Vision: The Destruction of the Sanctuary
1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar. And he said:
Strike the capitals
so that the threshold shakes!
Break them off on the heads of them all!
Those who are left I will slay with the sword.
Not one shall get away,
no survivor shall escape.[a](A)
2 Though they dig down to Sheol,
even from there my hand shall take them;
Though they climb to the heavens,
even from there I shall bring them down.(B)
3 Though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
there too I will hunt them down and take them;
Though they hide from my gaze at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent[b] to bite them.(C)
4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies,
there I will command the sword to slay them.
I will fix my gaze upon them
for evil and not for good.
5 The Lord God of hosts,
Who melts the earth with his touch,
so that all who dwell on it mourn,
So that it will all rise up like the Nile,
and subside like the river of Egypt;(D)
6 Who has built his upper chamber in heaven,
and established his vault over the earth;
Who summons the waters of the sea
and pours them upon the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name.(E)
7 Are you not like the Ethiopians to me,
O Israelites?—oracle of the Lord—
Did I not bring the Israelites from the land of Egypt
as I brought the Philistines from Caphtor
and the Arameans[c] from Kir?
8 See, the eyes of the Lord God are on this sinful kingdom,
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth—
But I will not destroy the house of Jacob completely—
oracle of the Lord.
9 For see, I have given the command
to sift the house of Israel among all the nations,
As one sifts with a sieve,
letting no pebble fall to the ground.
10 All sinners among my people shall die by the sword,
those who say, “Disaster will not reach or overtake us.”(F)
VI. Epilogue: Restoration Under a Davidic King
11 [d]On that day I will raise up
the fallen hut of David;
I will wall up its breaches,
raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old,(G)
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
and all nations claimed in my name—
oracle of the Lord, the one who does this.
13 Yes, days are coming—
oracle of the Lord—
When the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps
and the vintager, the sower of the seed;
The mountains shall drip with the juice of grapes,
and all the hills shall run with it.(H)
14 I will restore my people Israel,
they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,
Plant vineyards and drink[e] the wine,
set out gardens and eat the fruits.(I)
15 I will plant them upon their own ground;
never again shall they be plucked
From the land I have given them—
the Lord, your God, has spoken.
Footnotes
- 9:1 This vision may describe the destruction of the temple at Bethel and the fulfillment of the oracle in 3:14, linking God’s judgment upon Israel with the “punishment” of the altars of Bethel. This dramatic event (perhaps to be identified with the earthquake mentioned in 1:1) symbolizes the end of the Northern Kingdom as the Lord’s people, the consequence of their steadfast refusal to heed the prophetic word and return to the God of Israel.
- 9:3 The serpent: a name for the primeval chaos monster, vanquished by God at the time of creation but not annihilated. He was a personification of the sea, another primary archetype of chaos in the ancient Near East.
- 9:7 The Ethiopians…the Philistines…the Arameans: although Israel’s relationship to the Lord was special, even unique in some respects (3:2), Israel was not the only people on earth that God cared for. Striking here is the reference to divine intervention in the history of the Philistines and Arameans, not unlike the Lord’s saving intervention to bring Israel out of Egypt. Caphtor: the island of Crete.
- 9:11–15 These verses are most likely an editorial supplement to Amos, added to bring the book into harmony with the positive thrust of the prophetic books in general, especially those written after the exile, when the final edition of Amos was probably completed. The editors would have seen the destruction of Samaria in 722/721 B.C. as the fulfillment of Amos’s prophecies, but in this epilogue they express the view that destruction was not the Lord’s final word for Israel. In Acts 15:15–17, James interprets this passage in a messianic sense. The fallen hut of David: the Davidic kingdom, which included what later became the divided Northern and Southern Kingdoms. All nations claimed in my name: lit., “all nations over whom my name has been pronounced.” This idiom denotes ownership.
- 9:14 Rebuild…inhabit…plant…drink: in this era of restoration, the Lord nullifies the curse of 5:11, which uses these same four verbs, and turns it into a blessing for Israel.
Amos 9
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Amos 9
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The Destruction of Israel
9 I saw the Lord standing beside[a] the altar, and he said:
Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake,
and shatter them on the heads of all the people;[b]
and those who are left I will kill with the sword;
not one of them shall flee away,
not one of them shall escape.
2 Though they dig into Sheol,
from there shall my hand take them;
though they climb up to heaven,
from there I will bring them down.
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,
from there I will search out and take them;
and though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the sea-serpent, and it shall bite them.
4 And though they go into captivity in front of their enemies,
there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them;
and I will fix my eyes on them
for harm and not for good.
5 The Lord, God of hosts,
he who touches the earth and it melts,
and all who live in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile,
and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
6 who builds his upper chambers in the heavens,
and founds his vault upon the earth;
who calls for the waters of the sea,
and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name.
7 Are you not like the Ethiopians[c] to me,
O people of Israel? says the Lord.
Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt,
and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?
8 The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom,
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth
—except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,
says the Lord.
9 For lo, I will command,
and shake the house of Israel among all the nations
as one shakes with a sieve,
but no pebble shall fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,
who say, “Evil shall not overtake or meet us.”
The Restoration of David’s Kingdom
11 On that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen,
and repair its[d] breaches,
and raise up its[e] ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,
says the Lord who does this.
13 The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,
and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant them upon their land,
and they shall never again be plucked up
out of the land that I have given them,
says the Lord your God.
Amos 9
Good News Translation
Amos 9
Good News Translation
The Lord's Judgments
9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar. He gave the command: “Strike the tops of the Temple columns so hard that the foundation will shake. Break them off and let them fall on the heads of the people. I will kill the rest of the people in war. No one will get away; not one will escape. 2 Even if they dig their way down to the world of the dead, I will catch them. Even if they climb up to heaven, I will bring them down. 3 If they hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I will search for them and catch them. If they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command the sea monster[a] to bite them. 4 If they are taken away into captivity by their enemies, I will order them to be put to death. I am determined to destroy them, not to help them.”
5 The Sovereign Lord Almighty touches the earth,
and it quakes;
all who live there mourn.
The whole world rises and falls like the Nile River.
6 The Lord builds his home in the heavens,
and over the earth he puts the dome of the sky.
He calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out on the earth.
His name is the Lord!
7 The Lord says, “People of Israel, I think as much of the people of Ethiopia[b] as I do of you. I brought the Philistines from Crete and the Syrians from Kir, just as I brought you from Egypt. 8 I, the Sovereign Lord, am watching this sinful kingdom of Israel, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not destroy all the descendants of Jacob.
9 “I will give the command and shake the people of Israel like grain in a sieve. I will shake them among the nations to remove all who are worthless. 10 The sinners among my people will be killed in war—all those who say, ‘God will not let any harm come near us.’”
The Future Restoration of Israel
11 (A)The Lord says, “A day is coming when I will restore the kingdom of David, which is like a house fallen into ruins. I will repair its walls and restore it. I will rebuild it and make it as it was long ago. 12 And so the people of Israel will conquer what is left of the land of Edom and all the nations that were once mine,” says the Lord, who will cause this to happen.
13 “The days are coming,” says the Lord,
“when grain will grow faster than it can be harvested,
and grapes will grow faster than the wine can be made.
The mountains will drip with sweet wine,
and the hills will flow with it.
14 I will bring my people back to their land.
They will rebuild their ruined cities and live there;
they will plant vineyards and drink the wine;
they will plant gardens and eat what they grow.
15 I will plant my people on the land I gave them,
and they will not be pulled up again.”
The Lord your God has spoken.
Footnotes
- Amos 9:3 It was believed that the sea was inhabited by a great monster. This creature, like all others, was regarded as under God's control.
- Amos 9:7 Hebrew Cush: Cush is the ancient name of the extensive territory south of the First Cataract of the Nile River. This region was called Ethiopia in Graeco-Roman times, and included within its borders most of modern Sudan and some of present-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia).
Amos 9
New American Standard Bible
Amos 9
New American Standard Bible
God’s Judgment Unavoidable
9 I saw the Lord standing beside the (A)altar, and He said,
“Strike the pillar capitals so that the (B)thresholds will shake,
And (C)break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will (D)put to death the rest of them with the sword;
They will (E)not have a fugitive who will flee,
Nor a survivor who will escape.
2 Though they dig into (F)Sheol,
From there My hand will take them;
And though they (G)ascend to heaven,
From there I will bring them down.
3 And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will (H)track them down and take them from there;
And though they (I)hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
I will command the (J)serpent from there, and it will bite them.
4 And though they go into (K)captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,
And I will (L)set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”
5 The Lord [a]God of armies,
The One who (M)touches the land so that it quakes,
And (N)all those who live in it mourn,
And all of it rises up like the Nile
And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;
6 The One who builds His (O)upper chambers in the heavens
And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
He who (P)calls for the waters of the sea
And (Q)pours them out on the face of the earth,
(R)The Lord is His name.
7 “Are you not as the sons of (S)Ethiopia to Me,
You sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
“Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt,
And the (T)Philistines from Caphtor and the (U)Arameans from (V)Kir?
8 Behold, the (W)eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will (X)eliminate it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will (Y)not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord.
9 “For behold, I am commanding,
And I will (Z)shake the house of Israel among all nations
As grain is shaken in a sieve,
But not a pebble will fall to the ground.
10 All the (AA)sinners of My people will die by the sword,
Those who say, ‘(AB)The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’
The Restoration of Israel
11 “On that day I will (AC)raise up the fallen [b](AD)shelter of David,
And wall up its (AE)gaps;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the (AF)days of old;
12 (AG)So that they may [c]possess the remnant of (AH)Edom
And all the [d]nations who are (AI)called by My name,”
Declares the Lord who does this.
13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the (AJ)plowman will overtake the reaper,
And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
When the (AK)mountains will drip grape juice,
And all the hills will come apart.
14 I will also (AL)restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
And they will (AM)rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
They will also (AN)plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will also plant them on their land,
And (AO)they will not be uprooted again from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.
Amos 9
New International Version
Amos 9
New International Version
Israel to Be Destroyed
9 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(A) of all the people;
those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
none will escape.(B)
2 Though they dig down to the depths below,(C)
from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,(D)
from there I will bring them down.(E)
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,(F)
there I will hunt them down and seize them.(G)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,(H)
there I will command the serpent(I) to bite them.(J)
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
there I will command the sword(K) to slay them.
5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,(O)
and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
then sinks like the river of Egypt;(P)
6 he builds his lofty palace[a](Q) in the heavens
and sets its foundation[b] 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.(R)
7 “Are not you Israelites
the same to me as the Cushites[c]?”(S)
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
the Philistines(T) from Caphtor[d](U)
and the Arameans from Kir?(V)
8 “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy(W) it
from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.(X)
9 “For I will give the command,
and I will shake the people of Israel
among all the nations
as grain(Y) is shaken in a sieve,(Z)
and not a pebble will reach the ground.(AA)
10 All the sinners among my people
will die by the sword,(AB)
all those who say,
‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’(AC)
Israel’s Restoration
11 “In that day
“I will restore David’s(AD) fallen shelter(AE)—
I will repair its broken walls
and restore its ruins(AF)—
and will rebuild it as it used to be,(AG)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(AH)
and all the nations that bear my name,[e](AI)”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(AJ)
13 “The days are coming,”(AK) declares the Lord,
“when the reaper(AL) will be overtaken by the plowman(AM)
and the planter by the one treading(AN) grapes.
New wine(AO) will drip from the mountains
and flow from all the hills,(AP)
14 and I will bring(AQ) my people Israel back from exile.[f](AR)
“They will rebuild the ruined cities(AS) and live in them.
They will plant vineyards(AT) and drink their wine;
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(AU)
15 I will plant(AV) Israel in their own land,(AW)
never again to be uprooted(AX)
from the land I have given them,”(AY)
says the Lord your God.(AZ)
Footnotes
- Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Amos 9:7 That is, people from the upper Nile region
- Amos 9:7 That is, Crete
- Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
- Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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