Amos 1
The Message
1 The Message of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, that he received on behalf of Israel. It came to him in visions during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II son of Joash was king of Israel, two years before the big earthquake.
Swallowing the Same Old Lies
2 The Message:
God roars from Zion,
shouts from Jerusalem!
The thunderclap voice withers the pastures tended by shepherds,
shrivels Mount Carmel’s proud peak.
3-5 God’s Message:
“Because of the three great sins of Damascus
—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She pounded Gilead to a pulp, pounded her senseless
with iron hammers and mauls.
For that, I’m setting the palace of Hazael on fire.
I’m torching Ben-hadad’s forts.
I’m going to smash the Damascus gates
and banish the crime king who lives in Sin Valley,
the vice boss who gives orders from Paradise Palace.
The people of the land will be sent back
to where they came from—to Kir.”
God’s Decree.
6-8 God’s Message:
“Because of the three great sins of Gaza
—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She deported whole towns
and then sold the people to Edom.
For that, I’m burning down the walls of Gaza,
burning up all her forts.
I’ll banish the crime king from Ashdod,
the vice boss from Ashkelon.
I’ll raise my fist against Ekron,
and what’s left of the Philistines will die.”
God’s Decree.
9-10 God’s Message:
“Because of the three great sins of Tyre
—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She deported whole towns to Edom,
breaking the treaty she had with her kin.
For that, I’m burning down the walls of Tyre,
burning up all her forts.”
11-12 God’s Message:
“Because of the three great sins of Edom
—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She hunts down her brother to murder him.
She has no pity, she has no heart.
Her anger rampages day and night.
Her meanness never takes a timeout.
For that, I’m burning down her capital, Teman,
burning up the forts of Bozrah.”
13-15 God’s Message:
“Because of the three great sins of Ammon
—make that four—I’m not putting up with her any longer.
She ripped open pregnant women in Gilead
to get more land for herself.
For that, I’m burning down the walls of her capital, Rabbah,
burning up her forts.
Battle shouts! War whoops!
with a tornado to finish things off!
The king has been carted off to exile,
the king and his princes with him.”
God’s Decree.
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Amos 1
English Standard Version
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)shepherds[a] of (B)Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel (C)in the days of (D)Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of (E)Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years[b] before (F)the earthquake.
Judgment on Israel's Neighbors
2 And he said:
(G)“The Lord roars from Zion
and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
(H)the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
and the (I)top of (J)Carmel withers.”
3 Thus says the Lord:
(K)“For three transgressions of (L)Damascus,
and for four, (M)I will not revoke the punishment,[c]
because they have threshed (N)Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
4 (O)So I will send a fire upon the house of (P)Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of (Q)Ben-hadad.
5 I will (R)break the gate-bar of (S)Damascus,
and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of (T)Aven,[d]
and him who holds the scepter from (U)Beth-eden;
and the people of (V)Syria shall go into exile to (W)Kir,”
says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord:
(X)“For three transgressions of (Y)Gaza,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because (Z)they carried into exile a whole people
to deliver them up to Edom.
7 So I will send a fire upon the wall of (AA)Gaza,
and it shall devour her strongholds.
8 I will cut off the inhabitants from (AB)Ashdod,
and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will turn my hand against Ekron,
and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
says the Lord God.
9 Thus says the Lord:
(AC)“For three transgressions of (AD)Tyre,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they delivered up a whole people to Edom,
and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10 So I will send a fire upon the wall of (AE)Tyre,
and it shall devour her strongholds.”
11 Thus says the Lord:
(AF)“For three transgressions of (AG)Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
(AH)because he pursued his brother with the sword
(AI)and cast off all pity,
(AJ)and his anger tore perpetually,
(AK)and he kept his wrath forever.
12 So I will send a fire upon (AL)Teman,
and it shall devour the strongholds of (AM)Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord:
(AN)“For three transgressions of the (AO)Ammonites,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because (AP)they have ripped open pregnant women in (AQ)Gilead,
that they might enlarge their border.
14 So I will kindle a fire in the wall of (AR)Rabbah,
(AS)and it shall devour her strongholds,
with shouting on the day of battle,
(AT)with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
15 and (AU)their king shall go into exile,
he and his princes[e] together,”
says the Lord.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
