Amos 1
Expanded Bible
1 These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds from the town of Tekoa [C a small town in the highlands of Judah, ten miles south of Jerusalem]. ·He saw this vision about [L …which he saw concerning] Israel two years before the earthquake [Zech. 14:5]. ·It was at the time […L in the days when] Uzziah was king of Judah [C ruled 769–733 bc] and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel [C ruled 800–784 bc].
2 Amos said,
“The Lord will roar [Joel 3:16] from ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple];
he ·will send his voice [or thunders; bellows; L gives his voice] from Jerusalem.
The pastures of the shepherds will ·become dry [or mourn],
and even the top of Mount Carmel [9:3] will ·dry up [wither].”
Israel’s Neighbors Are Punished
The People of Aram
3 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Damascus,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They ·drove over [beat down; L threshed] the people of Gilead
with threshing boards ·that had iron teeth [L of iron].
4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael [C the royal dynasty of Syria (Aram), founded by Hazael (842–796 bc); 2 Kin. 8:7–15]
that will destroy the strong towers of Ben-Hadad [C either Hazael’s predecessor (whom he assassinated), or Hazael’s son, who took the same name].
5 I will break down the bar of the gate to Damascus [C the huge beam used to lock the gate]
and destroy the ·king who is in [or the inhabitants of; L the one who sits/dwells in] the Valley of ·Aven [or Wickedness; Hos. 4:15],
as well as the ·leader [L one who holds the scepter] of Beth Eden [C either Bit Adini, a city-state near the Euphrates, or a mocking name for Damascus, meaning “city of delight”].
The people of ·Aram [Syria] will be taken captive to the country of Kir [C where the Syrians originated (9:7); ironically, they would return there as captives; 2 Kin. 16:9],” says the Lord.
The People of Philistia
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; v. 3] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Gaza,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They sold ·all the people of one area [whole communities]
·as slaves [into captivity] to Edom.
7 So I will send a fire on the walls of Gaza
that will ·destroy [devour; consume] the city’s ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].
8 I will destroy the ·king [or inhabitants; L the one who sits; v. 5] of the city of Ashdod,
as well as the ·leader [L one who holds the scepter] of Ashkelon.
Then I will turn [L my hand] against ·the people of the city of Ekron [L Ekron],
and the ·last [rest; remnant] of the Philistines will ·die [perish],” says the Lord God.
The People of Phoenicia
9 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; vv. 3, 6] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Tyre,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They sold ·all the people of one area [whole communities]
·as slaves to Edom [into captivity],
and they forgot the ·agreement among relatives they had made with Israel [L covenant/treaty of brotherhood].
10 So I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
that will ·destroy [devour; consume] the city’s ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].”
The People of Edom
11 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; vv. 3, 6, 9] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Edom,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
·They hunted down their relatives, the Israelites, [L He pursued his brother; C Esau (Edom) was the brother of Jacob/Israel and so the Israelites were related to the Edomites] with the sword,
·showing them no mercy [or wiping out their allies; or destroying their women].
·They were angry all the time [His anger raged unceasingly]
and ·kept on being very angry [L he preserved his wrath forever].
12 So I will send fire on the city of Teman
that will even ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Bozrah [C the whole country; Teman was in northern Edom and Bozrah in the south].”
The People of Ammon
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; vv. 3, 6, 9, 11] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Ammon,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They ripped open the pregnant women in Gilead
·so they could take over that land
and make their own country larger [L to enlarge their borders].
14 So I will send fire on the city wall of Rabbah
that will ·destroy [consume; devour] its ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces].
·It will come during [L Amid shouting/war cries on] a day of battle,
during a stormy day with ·strong winds [a whirlwind].
15 Then their king will be taken ·captive [into exile];
he and his ·leaders [officials; princes] will all be taken away together,” says the Lord.
Amos 1
New American Standard Bible
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he saw in visions concerning Israel in the days of (C)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (D)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (E)earthquake.
2 And he said,
“The (F)Lord roars from Zion,
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [a](H)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 This is what the Lord says:
“For (I)three offenses of (J)Damascus, and for four,
I will not [b]revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
And it will consume the citadels of (K)Ben-hadad.
5 I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus,
And eliminate every inhabitant from the [c]Valley of Aven,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will be exiled to (M)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (N)Gaza, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they led into exile an entire population
To (O)turn them over to Edom.
7 So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
8 I will also eliminate every inhabitant from (P)Ashdod,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from (Q)Ashkelon;
And I will direct My [d]power against Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord [e]God.
9 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (S)Tyre, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they turned an entire population over to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [f](T)brotherhood.
10 So I will (U)send fire on the wall of Tyre,
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (V)Edom, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword
And stifled his compassion;
His anger also (X)tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of the sons of (Z)Ammon, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (AA)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (AB)enlarge their borders.
14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (AC)Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid [g](AD)war cries on the day of battle,
And amid a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 Their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
