Add parallel Print Page Options

These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds in Tekoa, a city in the highlands of Judah. God gave him these visions regarding Israel in the time of Uzziah (who ruled Judah) and Jeroboam (the son of Joash, who ruled Israel) two years before the great earthquake.

The Eternal One roars from Zion;
    His voice thunders from Jerusalem.
The pastures shrivel and die beneath the shepherds’ feet,
    and the crest of Mount Carmel dries to dust as all await His judgment.

Eternal One: For three crimes of Damascus,
        no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
    Because they have threshed the people of Gilead
        with threshing-sledges made of iron.
    I will send down fire on the house of Hazael, the ruler in Damascus,
        and burn down the fortresses of Ben-hadad, his son and successor.
    I will smash the gates of Damascus,
        wipe out those who live in the valley of Aven.
    I will cut off the hand that holds the scepter in Beth-eden
        and force the people of Aram into exile in Kir.

So says the Eternal about Aram, Israel’s constant enemy to the northeast.

Eternal One: For three crimes of Gaza,
        no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
    Because they sent entire communities into exile,
        including women and children,
    Because they sold My people
        as slaves to Edom.
    So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Gaza
        and burn down all of its fortifications.
    I will destroy those who live in Ashdod
        and cut off the hand that holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
    I will raise My hand against Ekron and the rest of the Philistines;
        even those in the formerly great city of Gath will perish.

Four of the five major cities of Philistia are mentioned here; only Gath is excluded. It was previously destroyed by Judah under King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:6).

So says the Eternal Lord about Philistia, Israel’s enemy in the southwest.

Here is what the Eternal says about Tyre, that maritime power to the northwest:

Eternal One: For three crimes of Tyre,
        no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
    Because they also handed over whole communities to Edom
        and ignored the covenant of brotherhood, the treaty between Phoenicia and Israel.
10     So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Tyre
        and burn down all of its fortifications.

11 Here is what the Eternal says about Edom, our neighbor to the southeast:

Eternal One: For three crimes of Edom,
        no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
    Because he pursued his brother, Israel, with the sword
        without any pity,
    Because he continually stoked his anger
        and nourished his rage.
12     So I will send down fire on Teman, its largest city in the south,
        and burn down the fortresses of Bozrah in the north.

13 Here is what the Eternal says about Ammon, just northeast of the Jordan:

Eternal One: For three crimes of the Ammonites,
        no for four, I have laid down My sentence and will not revoke it
    Because they ripped open the bellies of pregnant women in Gilead
        as they made war to expand their territory.
14     So I will send down fire on the wall that protects Rabbah, its only major city,
        and burn down all of its fortifications.
    With shouts and war cries on the day of battle,
        with a whirlwind in the midst of the storm,
15     I will force the king into exile,
        along with all the officials who counsel him.

So says the Eternal One.

The words of ‘Amos, one of the sheep owners in T’koa, which he saw concerning Isra’el in the days of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah and Yarov‘am the son of Yo’ash, king of Isra’el, two years before the earthquake; he said:

Adonai is roaring from Tziyon
thundering from Yerushalayim;
the shepherds’ pastures will mourn,
and Mount Karmel’s summit will wither.

Here is what Adonai says:

“For Dammesek’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they threshed Gil‘ad
with an iron-spiked threshing-sledge;
I will send fire to the house of Haza’el,
and it will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
I will break the bars of Dammesek’s gates.
I will cut off the inhabitants from Bik‘at-Aven,
and him who holds the scepter from Beit-‘Eden.
Then the people of Aram will go into exile
in Kir,” says Adonai.

Here is what Adonai says:

“For ‘Azah’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they exiled a whole population
and handed them over to Edom;
I will send fire to the wall of ‘Azah,
and it will consume its palaces.
I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand against ‘Ekron,
and the rest of the P’lishtim will perish,”
says Adonai, God.

Here is what Adonai says:

“For Tzor’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they exiled a whole population to Edom
and did not remember the covenant with kinsmen;
10 I will send fire to the wall of Tzor,
and it will consume its palaces.”

11 Here is what Adonai says:

“For Edom’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because with sword he pursued his kinsman
and threw aside all pity,
constantly nursing his anger,
forever fomenting his fury;
12 I will send fire on Teman,
and it will consume the palaces of Botzrah.”

13 Here is what Adonai says:

“For the people of ‘Amon’s three crimes,
no, four — I will not reverse it —
because they ripped apart pregnant women
just to expand their territory,
14 I will set fire to the wall of Rabbah,
and it will consume its palaces
amid shouts on the day of battle,
amid a storm on the day of the whirlwind.
15 Their king will go into exile,
he and his princes together,” says Adonai.

The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:

But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom:

But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:

And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God.

Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant:

10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

11 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.

13 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border:

14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind:

15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the Lord.