The Scroll and the Lamb

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne (A)a scroll written within and on the back, (B)sealed with seven seals. And (C)I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, (D)the Lion (E)of the tribe of Judah, (F)the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw (G)a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with (H)seven eyes, which are (I)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders (J)fell down before the Lamb, (K)each holding a harp, and (L)golden bowls full of incense, (M)which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang (N)a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for (O)you were slain, and by your blood (P)you ransomed people for God
    from (Q)every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them (R)a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering (S)myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

(T)“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard (U)every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures (V)said, “Amen!” and the elders (W)fell down and worshiped.

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

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.”

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.
(O)So I will send a fire upon the house of (P)Hazael,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of (Q)Ben-hadad.
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.

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.
So I will send a fire upon the wall of (AA)Gaza,
    and it shall devour her strongholds.
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.

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.

Thus says the Lord:

(AV)“For three transgressions of (AW)Moab,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[f]
because (AX)he burned to lime
    the bones of the king of Edom.
So I will send a fire upon Moab,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of (AY)Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar,
    amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet;
(AZ)I will cut off the ruler from its midst,
    and will kill (BA)all its princes[g] with him,”
says the Lord.

Judgment on Judah

Thus says the Lord:

(BB)“For three transgressions of Judah,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because (BC)they have rejected the law of the Lord,
    and have not kept his statutes,
but (BD)their lies have led them astray,
    those after which their fathers walked.
So (BE)I will send a fire upon Judah,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

Thus says the Lord:

(BF)“For three transgressions of Israel,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because (BG)they sell the righteous for (BH)silver,
    and the needy for a pair of sandals—
those who trample the head of the poor (BI)into the dust of the earth
    and (BJ)turn aside the way of the afflicted;
(BK)a man and his father go in to the same girl,
    so that my holy name is profaned;
they lay themselves down beside every altar
    on garments (BL)taken in pledge,
and in the house of their God they drink
    the wine of those who have been fined.

“Yet (BM)it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
    (BN)whose height was like the height of the cedars
    and who was as strong as the oaks;
(BO)I destroyed his fruit above
    and his roots beneath.
10 (BP)Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
    (BQ)and led you forty years in the wilderness,
    (BR)to possess the land of the Amorite.
11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
    and some of your young men for (BS)Nazirites.
    Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.

12 “But you made the Nazirites (BT)drink wine,
    and commanded the prophets,
    saying, (BU)‘You shall not prophesy.’

13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place,
    as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
14 (BV)Flight shall perish from the swift,
    (BW)and the strong shall not retain his strength,
    (BX)nor shall the mighty save his life;
15 he who handles the bow shall not stand,
    and he who is (BY)swift of foot shall not save himself,
    (BZ)nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;
16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty
    shall flee away naked in that day,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:1 Or sheep breeders
  2. Amos 1:1 Or during two years
  3. Amos 1:3 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 6, 9, 11, 13
  4. Amos 1:5 Or On
  5. Amos 1:15 Or officials
  6. Amos 2:1 Hebrew I will not turn it back; also verses 4, 6
  7. Amos 2:3 Or officials

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