Beginning
The Lion Roars at the Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds from Tekoa. He perceived these words concerning Israel during the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said:
Adonai roars from Zion,
From Jerusalem He gives His voice.
The shepherds’ pastures mourn,
and the top of Mount Carmel withers.
3 Thus says Adonai:
For three crimes of Damascus,
even for four, I will not relent.
For they threshed Gilead
with iron threshing sledges,
4 I will send fire into Hazael’s palace.
It will devour Ben-hadad’s citadels.
5 I will break the Damascus gate-bar
and cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
wielding Beth-eden’s scepter.
So the people of Aram
will go into exile to Kir.
Adonai has said it.
6 Thus says Adonai:
“For three crimes of Gaza,
even for four, I will not relent.
For they exiled an entire population,
giving them over to Edom.
7 So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza
—it will devour its citadels.
8 I will cut off Ashdod’s inhabitant,
wielding Ashkelon’s scepter.
I will turn My hand against Ekron
and the rest of the Philistines will perish.
My Lord Adonai has said it.
9 Thus says Adonai:
For three crimes of Tyre,
even for four, I will not relent.
For they gave an entire population over to Edom,
and did not remember the covenant of brothers.
10 I will send fire on the wall of Tyre—
it will devour its citadels.
11 Thus says Adonai:
For three crimes of Edom
even for four, I will not relent.
For he pursued his brother with a sword
and stifled his compassion.
For his anger tore continually,
and he kept his wrath forever.
12 So I will send fire in Teman—
it will devour Bozrah’s citadels.
13 Thus says Adonai:
For three crimes of the sons of Ammon
even for four, I will not relent.
For they ripped open pregnant women of Gilead
to expand their territory,
14 I will kindle fire on Rabbah’s wall
and it will devour its citadels,
amid shouting on a day of battle,
with storm on a day of whirlwind.
15 Their king will go into exile,
he and his princes together.
Thus Adonai has said.
2 Thus says Adonai:
For three crimes of Moab
even for four, I will not relent.
For he burned the bones of Edom’s king to lime,
2 So I will send fire upon Moab—
it will devour Kerioth’s citadels.
Moab will die in an uproar,
with a shout of alarm
and the sound of the shofar.
3 I will cut off the ruler from her midst,
and slay all her princes with him.
Thus Adonai has said.
As for Judah and Israel
4 Thus says Adonai:
“For three crimes of Judah
even for four, I will not relent.
For they despise Adonai’s Torah
and have not kept His statutes.
Their lies have misled them—
those their fathers walked after.
5 So I will send fire upon Judah—
it will devour Jerusalem’s citadels.”
6 Thus says Adonai:
“For three crimes of Israel
even for four, I will not relent.
For they sell the righteous for silver
and the needy for a pair of shoes.
7 They trample the head of the poor
into the dust of the earth
and thwart the way of the humble.
A man and his father go to the same girl,[a]
to profane My holy Name.
8 Upon garments taken in pledge
they stretch out beside every altar,
and drink wine confiscated as fines
in the house of their gods.
9 “I destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like cedars
and as strong as oaks—
yes, I destroyed his fruit from above
and his roots from beneath.
10 It was I also who brought you up from the land of Egypt
and led you forty years in the wilderness
to possess the Amorite’s land.
11 I raised up prophets from your sons
and Nazirites from your young men.
Is this not so, Bnei Yisrael?”
declares Adonai.
12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,
and you commanded the prophets saying,
‘Do not prophesy.’
13 Behold! I will cause a tottering beneath you
as a cart totters when full of sheaves.
14 Then flight will fail for the swift.
The mighty will not strengthen his power,
The warrior will not save his life.
15 The archer will not stand,
the fleet-footed will not escape,
the horseman will not save himself.
16 The valiant among the warriors
will flee naked in that day.”
declares Adonai.
The Prophet Reveals Destruction
3 Hear this word that Adonai has spoken against you, Bnei Yisrael, against the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “Only you have I known from among
all the families of the earth.
Therefore, I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3 Can two walk together
unless they meet by appointment?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den
unless he has taken prey?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground
if it has no bait?
Will a snare spring up from the ground
without taking anything?
6 If a shofar alarm sounds in a city,
will people not tremble?
If there is calamity in a city,
has not Adonai caused it?
7 For the Lord Adonai, will do nothing,
unless He has revealed His counsel
to His servants the prophets.[b]
8 A lion has roared, who will not fear?
My Lord Adonai has spoken,
who shall not prophesy?
9 Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod
and the citadels in the land of Egypt:
“Assemble on Samaria’s mountains:
Behold the great tumult within it,
even the oppression within it.”
10 They do not know how to be honest,
—declares Adonai—
those who are saving up violence and destruction in their citadels.
11 Therefore thus says my Lord Adonai:
“An adversary will surround the land!
He will bring down your strength.
Your citadels will be plundered
12 Thus says Adonai:
“Just as the shepherd snatches out of the mouth of the lion
two legs, or a piece of an ear,
so will Bnei-Yisrael dwelling in Samaria
escape with the corner of a bed
or a head of a couch.
13 Hear, and testify against the house of Jacob.”
It is the declaration of my Lord
Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot.
14 “For in a day I shall punish Israel for the transgressions of Israel,
and attend to the altars of Bethel—
the horns of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 I will also strike the winter house
together with the summer house.
The houses of ivory will perish,
and great houses will be demolished.”
It is the declaration of Adonai.
Word for Worldly Women
4 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on Samaria’s hill,
who oppress the poor,
who crush the needy,
who say to their masters: “Bring, so we may drink.”
2 My Lord Adonai has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, days are coming upon you
when he will drag you away with meat-hooks,
the last of you with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through breaches—
each woman straight ahead,
and you will be cast to Harmon.”[c]
It is the declaration of Adonai.
4 “Come to Bethel and transgress,
in Gilgal multiply transgression.
Every morning bring your sacrifices
and your tithes every three days.
5 Offer up hametz as a thank offering,
call out about freewill offerings—
boast about it!
For so you love to do, Bnei-Yisrael.”
It is the declaration of my Lord Adonai.
Yet You Have Not Returned
6 “So also, I myself have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities
and lack of bread in all your places—
yet you have not returned to Me,”
declares Adonai.
7 “Also I myself have withheld from you
the rain—when three months remain to the harvest,
I caused it to rain on one city,
while on another city I sent no rain;
one piece of ground would get rain,
while the portion not rained on would wither.
8 So two or three cities go staggering to one city to drink water,
but would not be satisfied—
yet you have not returned to Me,”
declares Adonai.
9 “I struck you with blight and mildew.
Your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig-trees and olive trees the locust has devoured—
yet you have not returned to Me,”
declares Adonai.
10 “I sent among you a plague in the manner of Egypt.
I slew your young men by the sword,
with your chariot-horses in captivity.
I made the stench of your camp rise up even to your own nostrils—
yet you have not returned to Me,”
declares Adonai.
11 I overthrew some of you as God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah[d].
You became like a firebrand snatched from a blaze—
yet you have not returned to Me,”
declares Adonai.
Prepare to Meet Your God
12 “Therefore here is what I will do to you, Israel.
Because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, Israel!”
13 For behold! He who forms mountains
who creates the wind,
who declares His thoughts to man,
who makes dawn out of darkness,
who walks above the heights of the earth—
His Name is Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot!
Seek Adonai and Live
5 Hear this word that I take up as a lament over you, O house of Israel:
2 She has fallen, never rising again—virgin Israel—
She is forsaken on her land,
with nobody to lift her up.
3 For thus says Adonai Elohim:
“The city that sends out a thousand
will have a hundred left,
and one that sends out a hundred
will have ten left for the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says Adonai to the house of Israel:
“Seek Me, and live!
5 But do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,
do not cross over to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will come to trouble.
6 Seek Adonai, and live—
lest He rush like fire through the house of Joseph.
Yes, it will devour Bethel,
with no one to quench it.[e]
Sins of Injustice
7 You who turn justice to wormwood
threw righteousness to the ground.
8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion
and changes deep darkness to morning.
Who darkens the day into night.
Who summons the water of the sea
and pours it out on the face of the earth
—Adonai is His Name.
9 He flashes destruction on the mighty,
so destruction will come against a fortress.
10 They despise one who reproves at the gate,
so they detest one who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor,
exacting from him a burden of grain,
you built houses of hewn stone,
but will not dwell in them,
you planted pleasant vineyards,
but will not drink their wine.
12 For I know your crimes are many
and your sins countless—
afflicting the righteous, taking bribes,
and turning the needy aside at the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at such a time
—for it is a distressful time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
so you may live,
and so Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot may be with you
—just as you said!
15 Hate evil, love good,
maintain justice at the gate.
Maybe Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot will
extend grace to Joseph’s remnant.[f]
16 Therefore thus said Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, my Lord:
“There will be wailing in all plazas and in all streets.
They will say: ‘Alas! Alas!’
The farmer will be called to mourning
along with those who know the lamentation song.
17 In all vineyards will be wailing,
for I will pass through your midst”
—Adonai has spoken.
Dreadful Day of Adonai
18 Oy to you—longing for the Day of Adonai![g]
What would it be for you?
The Day of Adonai will be darkness and not light.[h]
19 It will be as when a man is fleeing from a lion—
and meets a bear!
Or he comes home,
leans his hand on the wall,
and a snake bites him!
20 Will not the Day of Adonai be darkness, not light?
Gloom, not brightness?
Justice Better Than Sacrifices
21 “I hate, I despise your festivals!
I take no delight in your sacred assemblies.
22 Even if you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
nor will I look
at peace offerings of your fattened animals.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing torrent.
25 Did you bring sacrifices and offerings to Me in the wilderness
for forty years, O house of Israel?
26 But you lifted up your images
—Siccuth your ‘king’, and Chiun,[i] your star gods—
which you made for yourselves,[j]
27 So I will send you into exile,
beyond Damascus.”
Adonai has spoken,
Elohei-Tzva’ot is His Name.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.