Historical
Amos’ Vision of Yahweh’s Fire
1 The words of Amos, who was among the (A)sheepherders from (B)Tekoa, which he beheld 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,
“[a](F)Yahweh roars from Zion
And from Jerusalem He gives forth His voice;
And the shepherds’ (G)pasture grounds mourn,
And the [b](H)top of Carmel dries up.”
3 Thus says Yahweh,
“For (I)three transgressions of (J)Damascus and for four
I will not turn back 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 (K)Ben-hadad.
5 I will also (L)break the gate bar of Damascus
And cut off the inhabitant from the [c]valley of Aven
And him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will go into exile to (M)Kir,”
Says Yahweh.
6 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (N)Gaza and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they took away into exile the whole community of exiles
To (O)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 (P)Ashdod
And him who holds the scepter from (Q)Ashkelon;
I will even turn My hand against Ekron,
And the remnant of the (R)Philistines will perish,”
Says Lord Yahweh.
9 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (S)Tyre and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they delivered up the whole community of exiles to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of [d](T)brotherhood.
10 So I will (U)send fire upon the wall of Tyre,
And it will consume her citadels.”
11 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (V)Edom and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because he (W)pursued his brother with the sword
While he corrupted his compassion;
And his anger also (X)tore continually,
And he kept his wrath forever.
12 So I will send fire upon (Y)Teman,
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of the sons of (Z)Ammon and for four
I will not turn back 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 a (AD)loud shout on the day of battle
And a (AE)storm on the day of tempest.
15 And their (AF)king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,”
Says Yahweh.
2 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (AG)Moab and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because he (AH)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 (AI)Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid great (AJ)rumbling,
Amid a loud shout and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also cut off the [e](AK)judge from her midst
And kill all her (AL)princes with him,” says Yahweh.
Punishment of Judah and Israel
4 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (AM)Judah and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they (AN)rejected the law of Yahweh
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [f](AO)falsehood also has led them astray,
That which their (AP)fathers walked after.
5 So I will (AQ)send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
6 Thus says Yahweh,
“For three transgressions of (AR)Israel and for four
I will not turn back its punishment
Because they (AS)sell the righteous for money
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 These who [g]pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the (AT)poor
Also (AU)turn aside the way of the humble;
And a (AV)man and his father go to the same [h]young woman
In order to profane My holy name.
8 On garments (AW)taken as pledges they stretch out beside (AX)every altar,
And in the house of their God they (AY)drink the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the (AZ)Amorite before them,
[i]Though his (BA)height was like the height of cedars,
And he was strong as the oaks;
I even destroyed his (BB)fruit above and his root below.
10 And it was I who (BC)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And I led you in the wilderness (BD)forty years
[j]That you might take possession of the land of the (BE)Amorite.
11 Then I (BF)raised up some of your sons to be prophets
And some of your choice men to be (BG)Nazirites.
Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares Yahweh.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You (BH)shall not prophesy!’
13 Behold, I am [k](BI)weighted down beneath you
As a wagon [l]is weighted down when filled with sheaves.
14 (BJ)So [m]flight will perish from the swift,
And the strong will not instill his power with courage,
Nor will the (BK)mighty man make his [n]life escape.
15 He who (BL)grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will he who rides the (BM)horse make his [o]life escape.
16 Even the [p]most courageous of heart among the mighty men will (BN)flee naked in that day,” declares Yahweh.
Yahweh Speaks Against Israel
3 Hear this word which Yahweh has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire [q](BO)family which [r]He brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “(BP)You only have I known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will [s](BQ)punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Do two men walk together unless they have made an [t]appointment?
4 Does a (BR)lion roar in the forest when it has no prey?
Does a young lion give forth its voice from its den unless it has captured something?
5 Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [u]bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
6 If a (BS)trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a (BT)calamity happens in a city has not Yahweh done it?
7 [v]Surely Lord Yahweh does nothing
Unless He (BU)reveals His secret counsel
To His slaves the prophets.
8 A (BV)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
(BW)Lord Yahweh has spoken! (BX)Who can but prophesy?
9 Make it heard on the citadels in (BY)Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Gather yourselves on the (BZ)mountains of Samaria and see the great confusions within her and the (CA)oppressions in her midst. 10 But they (CB)do not know how to do what is right,” declares Yahweh, “these who (CC)hoard up [w]violence and devastation in their citadels.”
11 Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh,
“An (CD)adversary, even one surrounding the land,
Will pull down your [x]strength from you,
And your (CE)citadels will be plundered.”
12 Thus says Yahweh,
“Just as the shepherd (CF)delivers from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,
So will the sons of Israel inhabiting Samaria be delivered—
With the (CG)corner of a bed and the [y](CH)cover of a couch!
13 Hear and (CI)testify against the house of Jacob,”
Declares Lord Yahweh, the God of hosts.
14 “For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I will also punish the altars of (CJ)Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut in pieces,
And they will fall to the ground.
15 I will also strike the [z](CK)winter house together with the (CL)summer house;
The houses of [aa](CM)ivory will also perish,
And the (CN)great houses will come to an end,”
Declares Yahweh.
Yet You Have Not Returned to Me
4 Hear this word, you cows of (CO)Bashan who are on the (CP)mountain of Samaria,
Who (CQ)oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
Who say to their [ab]husbands, “Bring now, that we may (CR)drink!”
2 Lord Yahweh has (CS)sworn by His (CT)holiness that,
“Behold, the days are coming upon you,
And [ac]they will take you away with (CU)meat hooks,
And the last of you with (CV)fish hooks.
3 And you will (CW)go out through breaches in the walls,
Each one straight before her,
And you [ad]will be cast to Harmon,” declares Yahweh.
4 “Enter Bethel and transgress;
In Gilgal multiply transgression!
(CX)Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.
5 [ae]And offer a (CY)thank offering also from that which is leavened,
And call for (CZ)freewill offerings; cause them to be heard about.
For so you (DA)love to do, you sons of Israel,”
Declares Lord Yahweh.
6 “But I gave you also (DB)cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have (DC)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
7 “And I also (DD)withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city,
And on (DE)another city I would not send rain;
One portion would be rained on,
While the portion not rained on would dry up.
8 So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink (DF)water,
But would (DG)not be satisfied;
Yet you have (DH)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
9 “I (DI)struck you with scorching wind and mildew;
And the (DJ)gnawing locust was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees;
Yet you have (DK)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
10 “I sent a (DL)pestilence among you after the manner of Egypt;
I (DM)killed your choice men by the sword along with your (DN)captured horses,
And I made the (DO)stench of your camp rise up even in your nostrils;
Yet you have (DP)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
11 “I overthrew you as (DQ)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a (DR)firebrand [af]delivered from a blaze;
Yet you have (DS)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to (DT)meet your God, O Israel.”
13 For behold, He who (DU)forms mountains and (DV)creates the wind
And (DW)declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who (DX)makes dawn into gloom
And (DY)treads on the high places of the earth,
(DZ)Yahweh God of hosts is His name.
Seek Me That You May Live
5 Hear this word which I take up for you as a funeral (EA)lament, O house of Israel:
2 She has fallen; she will (EB)not rise again—
The (EC)virgin Israel.
She lies abandoned on her land;
There is (ED)none to raise her up.
3 For thus says Lord Yahweh,
“The city which goes forth one thousand strong
Will have one (EE)hundred left,
And the one which goes forth one hundred strong
Will have (EF)ten left to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel,
“(EG)Seek Me (EH)that you may live.
5 But do not seek (EI)Bethel,
And do not come to (EJ)Gilgal,
Nor cross over to (EK)Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into [ag]exile,
And Bethel will become [ah]evil.
6 (EL)Seek Yahweh that you may live,
Lest He come mightily like a (EM)fire, [ai]O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
7 For those who overturn (EN)justice into wormwood
And put righteousness down to the earth.”
8 He who made the (EO)Pleiades and Orion
And (EP)overturns the shadow of death into morning,
[aj]Who also (EQ)darkens day into night,
Who (ER)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
(ES)Yahweh is His name.
9 It is He who (ET)flashes forth with devastation upon the strong
So that (EU)devastation comes upon the fortification.
10 They hate him who (EV)reproves in the [ak]gate,
And they (EW)abhor him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore because you [al]impose heavy rent on the poor
And take a tribute of grain from them,
Though you have built (EX)houses of cut stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted desirable vineyards, yet you will (EY)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty,
You who (EZ)distress the righteous and take bribes
And [am]turn aside the needy in the [an]gate.
13 Therefore at [ao]such a time the one with insight (FA)keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, in order that you may live;
And thus may Yahweh God of hosts be with you,
(FB)Just as you have said!
15 (FC)Hate evil, love good,
And set justice at the [ap]gate!
Perhaps Yahweh God of hosts
(FD)May be gracious to the (FE)remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus says Yahweh God of hosts, the Lord,
“There is (FF)wailing in all the plazas,
And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They also call the (FG)farmer to mourning
And [aq](FH)professional weepers to wailing.
17 And in all the (FI)vineyards there is wailing
Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says Yahweh.
18 Woe, you who are longing for the (FJ)day of Yahweh,
For what purpose will the day of Yahweh be to you?
It will be (FK)darkness and not light;
19 As when a man (FL)flees from a lion
And a bear meets him;
[ar]Or he goes home, leans his hand against the wall,
And a snake bites him.
20 Will not the day of Yahweh be (FM)darkness instead of light,
Even thick darkness with no brightness in it?
21 “I hate, I (FN)reject your feasts,
Nor do I [as](FO)delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you (FP)offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the (FQ)peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 Remove from Me the tumult of your songs;
I will not even listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let (FR)justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “[at](FS)Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? 26 (FT)You also carried along [au]Sikkuth your king and [av]Kiyyun, your images, [aw]the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.
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