Bible in 90 Days
7 So I will be (A)like a lion to them;
Like a (B)leopard I will [a]lie in wait by the wayside.
8 I will encounter them (C)like a bear robbed of her cubs,
And I will tear open [b]their chests;
There I will also (D)devour them like a lioness,
As a wild beast would tear them.
9 It is your destruction, O Israel,
[c]That you are (E)against Me, against your (F)help.
10 Where now is your (G)king
That he may save you in all your cities,
And your (H)judges of whom you [d]requested,
“Give me a king and princes”?
11 I (I)gave you a king in My anger
And (J)took him away in My wrath.
12 The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up;
His sin is (K)stored up.
13 The pains of (L)childbirth come upon him;
He is (M)not a wise son,
For [e]it is not the time that he should (N)delay at the opening of the womb.
14 Shall I (O)ransom them from the [f]power of Sheol?
Shall I redeem them from death?
(P)O Death, where are your thorns?
O Sheol, where is your sting?
(Q)Compassion will be hidden from My sight.
15 Though he (R)flourishes among the [g]reeds,
An (S)east wind will come,
The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness;
And his fountain will (T)become dry
And his spring will be dried up;
It will (U)plunder his treasury of every precious article.
16 [h]Samaria will be held (V)guilty,
For she has (W)rebelled against her God.
(X)They will fall by the (Y)sword,
Their little ones will be (Z)dashed in pieces,
And their pregnant (AA)women will be ripped open.
Israel’s Future Blessing
14 [i](AB)Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled [j]because of your (AC)iniquity.
2 Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “(AD)Take away all iniquity
And [k]receive us graciously,
That we may (AE)present [l]the fruit of our lips.
3 “Assyria will not save us,
We will (AF)not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘(AG)Our god,’
To the (AH)work of our hands;
For in (AI)You the [m]orphan finds mercy.”
4 I will (AJ)heal their apostasy,
I will (AK)love them freely,
For My anger has (AL)turned away from them.
5 I will be like the (AM)dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the (AN)lily,
And he will [n]take root like the cedars of (AO)Lebanon.
6 His shoots will [o]sprout,
And his [p]beauty will be like the (AP)olive tree
And his fragrance like the cedars of (AQ)Lebanon.
7 Those who (AR)live in his shadow
Will [q]again raise (AS)grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 O Ephraim, what more have I to do with (AT)idols?
It is I who answer and look after [r]you.
I am like a luxuriant (AU)cypress;
From (AV)Me comes your fruit.
9 (AW)Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the (AX)ways of the Lord are right,
And the (AY)righteous will walk in them,
But (AZ)transgressors will stumble in them.
The Devastation of Locusts
1 The (BA)word of the Lord that came to (BB)Joel, the son of Pethuel:
2 (BC)Hear this, O (BD)elders,
And listen, all inhabitants of the land.
(BE)Has anything like this happened in your days
Or in your fathers’ days?
3 (BF)Tell your sons about it,
And let your sons tell their sons,
And their sons the next generation.
4 What the (BG)gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten;
And what the (BH)swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten;
And what the creeping locust has left, the (BI)stripping locust has eaten.
5 Awake, (BJ)drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you wine drinkers,
On account of the sweet wine
That is (BK)cut off from your mouth.
6 For a (BL)nation has [s]invaded my land,
Mighty and without number;
(BM)Its teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And it has the fangs of a lioness.
7 It has (BN)made my vine a waste
And my fig tree [t]splinters.
It has stripped them bare and cast them away;
Their branches have become white.
8 (BO)Wail like a virgin (BP)girded with sackcloth
For the bridegroom of her youth.
9 The (BQ)grain offering and the drink offering are cut off
From the house of the Lord.
The (BR)priests mourn,
The ministers of the Lord.
10 The field is (BS)ruined,
(BT)The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
The new wine dries up,
Fresh oil [u]fails.
11 [v](BU)Be ashamed, O farmers,
Wail, O vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the (BV)harvest of the field is destroyed.
12 The (BW)vine dries up
And the fig tree [w]fails;
The (BX)pomegranate, the (BY)palm also, and the [x](BZ)apple tree,
All the trees of the field dry up.
Indeed, (CA)rejoicing dries up
From the sons of men.
13 (CB)Gird yourselves with sackcloth
And lament, O priests;
(CC)Wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, (CD)spend the night in sackcloth
O ministers of my God,
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
Starvation and Drought
14 (CE)Consecrate a fast,
Proclaim a (CF)solemn assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
To the house of the Lord your God,
And (CG)cry out to the Lord.
15 (CH)Alas for the day!
For the (CI)day of the Lord is near,
And it will come as (CJ)destruction from the [y]Almighty.
16 Has not (CK)food been cut off before our eyes,
Gladness and (CL)joy from the house of our God?
17 The [z](CM)seeds shrivel under their [aa]clods;
The storehouses are desolate,
The barns are torn down,
For the grain is dried up.
18 How (CN)the beasts groan!
The herds of cattle wander aimlessly
Because there is no pasture for them;
Even the flocks of sheep [ab]suffer.
19 (CO)To You, O Lord, I cry;
For (CP)fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness
And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.
20 Even the beasts of the field [ac](CQ)pant for You;
For the (CR)water brooks are dried up
And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.
The Terrible Visitation
2 (CS)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the (CT)day of the Lord is coming;
Surely it is near,
2 A day of (CU)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a (CV)great and mighty people;
There has (CW)never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.
3 A (CX)fire consumes before them
And behind them a flame burns.
The land is (CY)like the garden of Eden before them
But a (CZ)desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.
4 Their (DA)appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.
5 [ad]With a (DB)noise as of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the [ae]crackling of a (DC)flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people arranged for battle.
6 Before them the people are in (DD)anguish;
All (DE)faces [af]turn pale.
7 They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And they each (DF)march [ag]in line,
Nor do they deviate from their paths.
8 They do not crowd each other,
They march everyone in his path;
When they [ah]burst through the [ai]defenses,
They do not break ranks.
9 They rush on the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the (DG)houses,
They (DH)enter through the windows like a thief.
10 Before them the earth (DI)quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The (DJ)sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.
11 The Lord (DK)utters His voice before (DL)His army;
Surely His camp is very great,
For (DM)strong is he who carries out His word.
The (DN)day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome,
And (DO)who can endure it?
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“(DP)Return to Me with all your heart,
And with (DQ)fasting, weeping and mourning;
13 And (DR)rend your heart and not (DS)your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is (DT)gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And (DU)relenting of evil.
14 Who knows (DV)whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a (DW)blessing behind Him,
Even (DX)a grain offering and a drink offering
For the Lord your God?
15 (DY)Blow a trumpet in Zion,
(DZ)Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
16 Gather the people, (EA)sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the (EB)bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
17 Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,
Weep (EC)between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “(ED)Spare Your people, O Lord,
And do not make Your inheritance a (EE)reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘(EF)Where is their God?’”
Deliverance Promised
18 Then the Lord [aj]will be (EG)zealous for His land
And [ak]will have (EH)pity on His people.
19 The Lord [al]will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to (EI)send you grain, new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with [am]them;
And I will (EJ)never again make you a reproach among the nations.
20 “But I will remove the (EK)northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the (EL)eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the (EM)western sea.
And its (EN)stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things.”
21 (EO)Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the Lord has done (EP)great things.
22 Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the (EQ)pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded [an]in full.
23 So rejoice, O (ER)sons of Zion,
And (ES)be glad in the Lord your God;
For He has (ET)given you [ao]the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The [ap]early and [aq](EU)latter rain [ar]as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will (EV)overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 “Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming (EW)locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 “You will have plenty to (EX)eat and be satisfied
And (EY)praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has (EZ)dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will (FA)never be put to shame.
27 “Thus you will (FB)know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the Lord your God,
And there is (FC)no other;
And My people will never be (FD)put to shame.
The Promise of the Spirit
28 “[as](FE)It will come about after this
That I will (FF)pour out My Spirit on all [at](FG)mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 “Even on the (FH)male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The Day of the Lord
30 “I will (FI)display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.
31 “The (FJ)sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the (FK)great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
32 “And it will come about that (FL)whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered;
For (FM)on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who (FN)escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the (FO)survivors whom the Lord calls.
The Nations Will Be Judged
3 “[au]For behold, (FP)in those days and at that time,
When I (FQ)restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will (FR)gather all the nations
And bring them down to the (FS)valley of [av]Jehoshaphat.
Then I will (FT)enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have (FU)scattered among the nations;
And they have (FV)divided up My land.
3 “They have also (FW)cast lots for My people,
[aw](FX)Traded a boy for a harlot
And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.
4 Moreover, what are you to Me, O (FY)Tyre, Sidon and all the regions of (FZ)Philistia? Are you rendering Me a recompense? But if you do recompense Me, swiftly and speedily I will (GA)return your recompense on your head. 5 Since you have (GB)taken My silver and My gold, brought My precious [ax]treasures to your temples, 6 and sold the (GC)sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the [ay]Greeks in order to remove them far from their territory, 7 behold, I am going to (GD)arouse them from the place where you have sold them, and return your recompense on your head. 8 Also I will (GE)sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the (GF)Sabeans, to a distant nation,” for the Lord has spoken.
9 (GG)Proclaim this among the nations:
(GH)Prepare a war; (GI)rouse the mighty men!
Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!
10 (GJ)Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
(GK)Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.”
11 [az](GL)Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations,
And gather yourselves there.
Bring down, O Lord, Your (GM)mighty ones.
12 Let the nations be aroused
And come up to the (GN)valley of [ba]Jehoshaphat,
For there I will sit to (GO)judge
All the surrounding nations.
13 (GP)Put in the sickle, for the (GQ)harvest is ripe.
Come, (GR)tread, for the (GS)wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their (GT)wickedness is great.
14 (GU)Multitudes, multitudes in the (GV)valley of [bb]decision!
For the (GW)day of the Lord is near in the valley of [bc]decision.
15 The (GX)sun and moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.
16 The Lord (GY)roars from Zion
And (GZ)utters His voice from Jerusalem,
And the (HA)heavens and the earth tremble.
But the Lord is a (HB)refuge for His people
And a (HC)stronghold to the sons of Israel.
17 Then you will (HD)know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling in Zion, My (HE)holy mountain.
So Jerusalem will be (HF)holy,
And (HG)strangers will pass through it no more.
Judah Will Be Blessed
18 And in that day
The (HH)mountains will drip with [bd]sweet wine,
And the hills will (HI)flow with milk,
And all the (HJ)brooks of Judah will flow with water;
And a (HK)spring will go out from the house of the Lord
To water the valley of [be]Shittim.
19 Egypt will become a waste,
And Edom will become a desolate wilderness,
Because of the (HL)violence [bf]done to the sons of Judah,
In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
20 But Judah will be (HM)inhabited forever
And Jerusalem for all generations.
21 And I will (HN)avenge their blood which I have not avenged,
For the Lord dwells in Zion.
Judgment on Neighbor Nations
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (HO)sheepherders from (HP)Tekoa, which he [bg]envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of (HQ)Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of (HR)Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the (HS)earthquake.
2 He said,
“The (HT)Lord roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ (HU)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [bh](HV)summit of Carmel dries up.”
3 Thus says the Lord,
“For (HW)three transgressions of (HX)Damascus and for four
I will not [bi]revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.
4 “So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael
And it will consume the citadels of (HY)Ben-hadad.
5 “I will also (HZ)break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the [bj]valley of Aven,
And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go exiled to (IA)Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (IB)Gaza and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they deported an entire population
To (IC)deliver it up to Edom.
7 “So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
8 “I will also cut off the inhabitant from (ID)Ashdod,
And him who holds the scepter, from (IE)Ashkelon;
I will even [bk]unleash My [bl]power upon Ekron,
And the remnant of the (IF)Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord [bm]God.
9 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (IG)Tyre and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [bn](IH)brotherhood.
10 “So I will (II)send fire upon the wall of Tyre
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (IJ)Edom and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he (IK)pursued his brother with the sword,
While he [bo]stifled his compassion;
His anger also (IL)tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
12 “So I will send fire upon (IM)Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of the sons of (IN)Ammon and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (IO)ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to (IP)enlarge their borders.
14 “So I will kindle a fire on the wall of (IQ)Rabbah
And it will consume her citadels
Amid [bp](IR)war cries on the day of battle,
And a (IS)storm on the day of tempest.
15 “Their (IT)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Judah and Israel
2 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (IU)Moab and for four
I will not [bq]revoke its punishment,
Because he (IV)burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 “So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of (IW)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid (IX)tumult,
With [br]war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 “I will also cut off the [bs](IY)judge from her midst
And slay all her (IZ)princes with him,” says the Lord.
4 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (JA)Judah and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (JB)rejected the law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [bt](JC)lies also have led them astray,
Those after which their (JD)fathers walked.
5 “So I will (JE)send fire upon Judah
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
6 Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of (JF)Israel and for four
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (JG)sell the righteous for money
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 “These who [bu]pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the (JH)helpless
Also (JI)turn aside the way of the humble;
And a (JJ)man and his father [bv]resort to the same [bw]girl
In order to profane My holy name.
8 “On garments (JK)taken as pledges they stretch out beside (JL)every altar,
And in the house of their God they (JM)drink the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the (JN)Amorite before them,
[bx]Though his (JO)height was like the height of cedars
And he was strong as the oaks;
I even destroyed his (JP)fruit above and his root below.
10 “It was I who (JQ)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And I led you in the wilderness (JR)forty years
[by]That you might take possession of the land of the (JS)Amorite.
11 “Then I (JT)raised up some of your sons to be prophets
And some of your young men to be (JU)Nazirites.
Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You (JV)shall not prophesy!’
13 “Behold, I am [bz](JW)weighted down beneath you
As a wagon [ca]is weighted down when filled with sheaves.
14 “[cb](JX)Flight will perish from the swift,
And the stalwart will not strengthen his power,
Nor the (JY)mighty man save his [cc]life.
15 “He who (JZ)grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will he who rides the (KA)horse save his [cd]life.
16 “Even the [ce]bravest among the warriors will (KB)flee naked in that day,” declares the Lord.
All the Tribes Are Guilty
3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [cf](KC)family which [cg]He brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 “(KD)You only have I [ch]chosen among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [ci](KE)punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an [cj]appointment?
4 Does a (KF)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion [ck]growl from his den unless he has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [cl]bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (KG)trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a (KH)calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?
7 [cm]Surely the Lord [cn]God does nothing
Unless He (KI)reveals His secret counsel
To His servants the prophets.
8 A (KJ)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The (KK)Lord [co]God has spoken! (KL)Who can but prophesy?
9 Proclaim on the citadels in (KM)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the (KN)mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the (KO)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (KP)do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who (KQ)hoard up [cp]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
“An (KR)enemy, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [cq]strength from you
And your (KS)citadels will be looted.”
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Just as the shepherd [cr](KT)snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be [cs]snatched away—
With the (KU)corner of a bed and the [ct](KV)cover of a couch!
13 “Hear and (KW)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord God, the God of hosts.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of (KX)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off
And they will fall to the ground.
15 “I will also smite the [cu](KY)winter house together with the (KZ)summer house;
The houses of [cv](LA)ivory will also perish
And the (LB)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares the Lord.
“Yet You Have Not Returned to Me”
4 Hear this word, you cows of (LC)Bashan who are on the (LD)mountain of Samaria,
Who (LE)oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to [cw]your husbands, “Bring now, that we may (LF)drink!”
2 The Lord [cx]God has (LG)sworn by His (LH)holiness,
“Behold, the days are coming upon you
When [cy]they will take you away with (LI)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (LJ)fish hooks.
3 “You will (LK)go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you [cz]will be cast to Harmon,” declares the Lord.
4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
(LL)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 “[da]Offer a (LM)thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And proclaim (LN)freewill offerings, make them known.
For so you (LO)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares the Lord God.
6 “But I gave you also (LP)cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have (LQ)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
7 “Furthermore, I (LR)withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city
And on (LS)another city I would not send rain;
One part would be rained on,
While the part not rained on would dry up.
8 “So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink (LT)water,
But would (LU)not be satisfied;
Yet you have (LV)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
9 “I (LW)smote you with scorching wind and mildew;
And the (LX)caterpillar was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees;
Yet you have (LY)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
10 “I sent a (LZ)plague among you after the manner of Egypt;
I (MA)slew your young men by the sword along with your (MB)captured horses,
And I made the (MC)stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils;
Yet you have (MD)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
11 “I overthrew you, as (ME)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a (MF)firebrand snatched from a blaze;
Yet you have (MG)not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to (MH)meet your God, O Israel.”
13 For behold, He who (MI)forms mountains and (MJ)creates the wind
And (MK)declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who (ML)makes dawn into darkness
And (MM)treads on the high places of the earth,
(MN)The Lord God of hosts is His name.
“Seek Me that You May Live”
5 Hear this word which I take up for you as a (MO)dirge, O house of Israel:
2 She has fallen, she will (MP)not rise again—
The (MQ)virgin Israel.
She lies neglected on her land;
There is (MR)none to raise her up.
3 For thus says the Lord [db]God,
“The city which goes forth a thousand strong
Will have a (MS)hundred left,
And the one which goes forth a hundred strong
Will have (MT)ten left to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel,
“(MU)Seek Me (MV)that you may live.
5 “But do not [dc]resort to (MW)Bethel
And do not come to (MX)Gilgal,
Nor cross over to (MY)Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will [dd]come to trouble.
6 “(MZ)Seek the Lord that you may live,
Or He will break forth like a (NA)fire, [de]O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
7 For those who turn (NB)justice into wormwood
And [df]cast righteousness down to the earth.”
8 He who made the (NC)Pleiades and Orion
And (ND)changes deep darkness into morning,
[dg]Who also (NE)darkens day into night,
Who (NF)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
The (NG)Lord is His name.
9 It is He who (NH)flashes forth with destruction upon the strong,
So that (NI)destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate him who (NJ)reproves in the [dh]gate,
And they (NK)abhor him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore because you [di]impose heavy rent on the poor
And exact a tribute of grain from them,
Though you have built (NL)houses of well-hewn stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will (NM)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great,
You who (NN)distress the righteous and accept bribes
And [dj]turn aside the poor in the [dk]gate.
13 Therefore at [dl]such a time the prudent person (NO)keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live;
And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you,
(NP)Just as you have said!
15 (NQ)Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the [dm]gate!
Perhaps the Lord God of hosts
(NR)May be gracious to the (NS)remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord,
“There is (NT)wailing in all the plazas,
And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They also call the (NU)farmer to mourning
And [dn](NV)professional mourners to lamentation.
17 “And in all the (NW)vineyards there is wailing,
Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord.
18 Alas, you who are longing for the (NX)day of the Lord,
For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?
It will be (NY)darkness and not light;
19 As when a man (NZ)flees from a lion
And a bear meets him,
[do]Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall
And a snake bites him.
20 Will not the day of the Lord be (OA)darkness instead of light,
Even gloom with no brightness in it?
21 “I hate, I (OB)reject your festivals,
Nor do I [dp](OC)delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even though you (OD)offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the (OE)peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
24 “But let (OF)justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “[dq](OG)Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? 26 (OH)You also carried along [dr]Sikkuth your king and [ds]Kiyyun, your images, [dt]the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
“Those at Ease in Zion”
6 (OI)Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The (OJ)distinguished men of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
2 Go over to (OK)Calneh and look,
And go from there to (OL)Hamath the great,
Then go down to (OM)Gath of the Philistines.
Are [du]they better than these kingdoms,
Or is their territory greater than yours?
3 Do you (ON)put off the day of calamity,
And would you (OO)bring near the seat of violence?
4 Those who recline on beds of ivory
And sprawl on their (OP)couches,
And (OQ)eat lambs from the flock
And calves from the midst of the stall,
5 Who improvise to the sound of the harp,
And like David have [dv]composed (OR)songs for themselves,
6 Who (OS)drink wine from [dw]sacrificial bowls
While they anoint themselves with the finest of oils,
Yet they have not (OT)grieved over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore, they will now (OU)go into exile at the head of the exiles,
And the (OV)sprawlers’ [dx]banqueting will [dy]pass away.
8 The Lord [dz]God has (OW)sworn by Himself, the Lord God of hosts has declared:
“I (OX)loathe the arrogance of Jacob,
And [ea]detest his (OY)citadels;
Therefore I will (OZ)deliver up the city and [eb]all it contains.”
9 And it will be, if (PA)ten men are left in one house, they will die. 10 Then one’s [ec]uncle, or his [ed](PB)undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will [ee]answer, “(PC)Keep quiet. For [ef]the name of the Lord is (PD)not to be mentioned.” 11 For behold, the Lord is going to (PE)command that the (PF)great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments.
12 Do horses run on rocks?
Or does one plow [eg]them with oxen?
Yet you have turned (PG)justice into poison
And the fruit of righteousness into [eh]wormwood,
13 You who rejoice in [ei](PH)Lodebar,
[ej]And say, “Have we not (PI)by our own strength taken [ek]Karnaim for ourselves?”
14 “For behold, (PJ)I am going to raise up a nation against you,
O house of Israel,” declares the Lord God of hosts,
“And they will afflict you from the (PK)entrance of Hamath
To the (PL)brook of the Arabah.”
Warning Through Visions
7 Thus the Lord [el]God showed me, and behold, He was forming a (PM)locust-swarm [em]when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s [en]mowing. 2 And it came about, [eo]when it had (PN)finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,
“(PO)Lord God, please pardon!
[ep]How can Jacob stand,
For he is (PP)small?”
3 The Lord [eq](PQ)changed His mind about this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
4 Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by (PR)fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the [er]farm land. 5 Then I said,
“(PS)Lord God, please stop!
(PT)How can Jacob stand, for he is small?”
6 The Lord [es](PU)changed His mind about this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.
7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [et]by a [eu]vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “(PV)What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold I am about to put a (PW)plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will [ev](PX)spare them no longer.
9 “The (PY)high places of Isaac will be desolated
And the (PZ)sanctuaries of Israel laid waste.
Then I will (QA)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused, Answers
10 Then Amaziah, the (QB)priest of Bethel, sent word to (QC)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (QD)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “(QE)Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying! 13 But (QF)no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a (QG)sanctuary of the king and a royal [ew]residence.”
14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the (QH)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a [ex]grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from [ey]following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go (QI)prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 Now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You (QJ)shall not prophesy against Israel (QK)nor shall you [ez]speak against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘Your (QL)wife will become a harlot in the city, your (QM)sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die [fa]upon (QN)unclean soil. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”
Basket of Fruit and Israel’s Captivity
8 Thus the Lord [fb]God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. 2 He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And (QO)I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The (QP)end has come for My people Israel. I will [fc](QQ)spare them no longer. 3 [fd]The (QR)songs of the palace will turn to (QS)wailing in that day,” declares the Lord God. “Many will be the (QT)corpses; in every place [fe]they will cast them forth [ff]in silence.”
4 Hear this, you who [fg](QU)trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, 5 saying,
“When will the (QV)new moon [fh]be over,
So that we may sell grain,
And the (QW)sabbath, that we may open the wheat market,
To make the [fi]bushel smaller and the shekel bigger,
And to (QX)cheat with [fj]dishonest scales,
6 So as to (QY)buy the helpless for [fk]money
And the needy for a pair of sandals,
And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”
7 The Lord has (QZ)sworn by the (RA)pride of Jacob,
“Indeed, I will (RB)never forget any of their deeds.
8 “Because of this will not the land (RC)quake
And everyone who dwells in it (RD)mourn?
Indeed, all of it will (RE)rise up like the Nile,
And it will be tossed about
And subside like the Nile of Egypt.
9 “It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord God,
“That I will make the (RF)sun go down at noon
And (RG)make the earth dark in [fl]broad daylight.
10 “Then I will (RH)turn your festivals into mourning
And all your songs into [fm]lamentation;
And I will bring (RI)sackcloth on everyone’s loins
And baldness on every head.
And I will make it (RJ)like a time of mourning for an only son,
And the end of it will be like a bitter day.
11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather (RK)for hearing the words of the Lord.
12 “People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will go to and fro to (RL)seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it.
13 “In that day the beautiful (RM)virgins
And the young men will (RN)faint from thirst.
14 “As for those who swear by the [fn](RO)guilt of Samaria,
Who say, ‘As your god lives, O (RP)Dan,’
And, ‘As the way of (RQ)Beersheba lives,’
They will fall and (RR)not rise again.”
God’s Judgment Unavoidable
9 I saw the Lord standing beside the (RS)altar, and He said,
“Smite the capitals so that the (RT)thresholds will shake,
And (RU)break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will (RV)slay the rest of them with the sword;
They will (RW)not have a fugitive who will flee,
Or a refugee who will escape.
2 “Though they dig into (RX)Sheol,
From there will My hand take them;
And though they (RY)ascend to heaven,
From there will I bring them down.
3 “Though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will (RZ)search them out and take them from there;
And though they (SA)conceal themselves from My sight on the floor of the sea,
From there I will command the (SB)serpent and it will bite them.
4 “And though they go into (SC)captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword that it slay them,
And I will (SD)set My eyes against them for evil and not for good.”
5 The Lord [fo]God of hosts,
The One who (SE)touches the land so that it melts,
And (SF)all those who dwell in it mourn,
And all of it rises up like the Nile
And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;
6 The One who builds His [fp](SG)upper chambers in the heavens
And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
He who (SH)calls for the waters of the sea
And (SI)pours them out on the face of the earth,
(SJ)The Lord is His name.
7 “Are you not as the sons of (SK)Ethiopia to Me,
O sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
“Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt,
And the (SL)Philistines from Caphtor and the (SM)Arameans from (SN)Kir?
8 “Behold, the (SO)eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will (SP)destroy it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will (SQ)not totally destroy the house of Jacob,”
Declares the Lord.
9 “For behold, I am commanding,
And I will (SR)shake the house of Israel among all nations
As grain is shaken in a sieve,
But not a [fq]kernel will fall to the ground.
10 “All the (SS)sinners of My people will die by the sword,
Those who say, ‘(ST)The calamity will not overtake or confront us.’
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.