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Introduction

This is the message of Amos, one of the shepherds from the city Tekoa. He saw visions about Israel during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash was king of Israel. This was two years before the earthquake.

Punishment for Aram

Amos said,
“The Lord will shout like a lion in Zion.
    His loud voice will roar from Jerusalem.
The green pastures of the shepherds will turn brown and die.
    Even Mount Carmel[a] will become dry.”

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Damascus for the many crimes they did.[b] They crushed the people of Gilead with iron threshing tools. So I will start a fire at Hazael’s[c] house that will destroy the great palaces of Ben-Hadad.[d]

“I will also break open the gates of Damascus[e] and remove the one who sits on the throne in the Valley of Aven.[f] I will remove the symbol of power from Beth Eden,[g] and the Arameans will be defeated and taken back to Kir.[h]” This is what the Lord said.

Punishment for the Philistines

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Gaza[i] for the many crimes they did. They took an entire nation of people and sent them as slaves to Edom. So I will start a fire at the wall of Gaza that will destroy the high towers in Gaza. And I will destroy the one who sits on the throne in Ashdod. I will destroy the king who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will punish the people of Ekron.[j] Then the Philistines who are still left alive will die.” This is what the Lord God said.

Punishment for Phoenicia

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Tyre[k] for the many crimes they did. They took an entire nation and sent them as slaves to Edom. They did not remember the agreement they had made with their brothers.[l] 10 So I will start a fire at the walls of Tyre that will destroy the high towers in Tyre.”

Punishment for the Edomites

11 This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Edom for their many crimes. Edom chased his brother with the sword, and he showed no mercy. His anger never stopped. He kept tearing and tearing at Israel like a wild animal. 12 So I will start a fire at Teman that will destroy the high towers of Bozrah.”

Punishment for the Ammonites

13 This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the Ammonites[m] for the many crimes they did. They killed the pregnant women in Gilead. The Ammonites did this so that they could take that land and make their country larger. 14 So I will start a fire at the wall of Rabbah[n] that will destroy the high towers of Rabbah. Troubles will come to them like a whirlwind[o] into their country. 15 Then their kings and leaders will be captured. They will all be taken together.” This is what the Lord said.

Punishment for Moab

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Moab for the many crimes they did. Moab burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. So I will start a fire in Moab that will destroy the high towers of Kerioth.[p] There will be terrible shouting and the sounds of a trumpet, and Moab will die. So I will bring an end to the kings[q] of Moab, and I will kill all the leaders of Moab.” This is what the Lord said.

Punishment for Judah

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish Judah for the many crimes they did. They refused to obey the Lord’s teachings and they did not keep his commands. Their ancestors believed lies, and those same lies caused the people of Judah to stop following God. So I will start a fire in Judah that will destroy the high towers of Jerusalem.”

Punishment for Israel

This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish Israel for the many crimes they have done. They sold honest people for a little silver. They sold the poor for the price of a pair of sandals. They pushed their faces into the ground and walked on them. They stopped listening to suffering people. Fathers and sons had sexual relations with the same woman. They ruined my holy name. They took clothes from the poor, and then they sat on those clothes while worshiping at their altars. They loaned money to the poor, and then they took their clothes as a promise for payment.[r] They made people pay fines and used the money to buy wine for themselves to drink in the temple of their god.

“But it was I who destroyed the Amorites[s] before them. They were as tall as cedar trees and as strong as oaks, but I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.[t]

10 “I was the one who brought you from the land of Egypt. For 40 years I led you through the desert. I helped you take the Amorites’ land. 11 I made some of your sons to be prophets and some of your young men to be Nazirites. People of Israel, it is true.” This is what the Lord said. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine. You told the prophets not to prophesy. 13 You have become more than I can bear. I am bent low like a wagon loaded with grain. 14 No one will escape, not even the fastest runner. Strong men will not be strong enough. Soldiers will not be able to save themselves. 15 People with bows and arrows will not survive. Fast runners will not escape. People on horses will not escape alive. 16 At that time even very brave soldiers will run away. They will not take the time to put their clothes on.” This is what the Lord said.

Warning to Israel

People of Israel, listen to this message! This is what the Lord said about you, Israel. This message is about all the families that I brought from the land of Egypt. “There are many families on earth, but you are the only family I chose to know in a special way. And you turned against me, so I will punish you for all your sins.”

The Cause of Israel’s Punishment

Two people will not walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so.
A lion will roar in the forest
    only if it catches its prey.
A young lion roaring in his cave
    means he has caught something to eat.
A bird doesn’t fly into a trap
    unless there is food in it.
If a trap closes,
    it will catch the bird.
If people hear the warning blast of a trumpet,
    they shake with fear.
If trouble comes to a city,
    the Lord caused it to happen.

When the Lord God decides to do something, he will first tell his servants, the prophets. When a lion roars, people are frightened. When the Lord God speaks, a prophet must prophesy.

9-10 Go to the high towers in Ashdod[u] and in Egypt and announce this message from the Lord: “Come together on the mountains of Samaria. See the great confusion there because the people don’t know how to live right. See how cruel they are to others. They take things from people to hide in their high towers. Their treasuries are filled with the things they have taken in war.”

11 So the Lord God says, “An enemy will surround your land. They will break down your strong walls and take the things you have hidden in your high towers.”

12 The Lord says,

“A lion might attack a lamb,
    and a shepherd might try to save the lamb.
But the shepherd will save
    only a part of that lamb.
He might pull two legs
    or a part of an ear from the lion’s mouth.
In the same way, most of the people of Israel will not be saved.
    Those who live in Samaria will save only a corner from a bed,
    or a piece of cloth from a couch.”

13 This is what the Lord God All-Powerful says: “Warn the family of Jacob about these things. 14 Israel sinned, and I will punish them for their sins. And when I do, I will also destroy the altars at Bethel.[v] The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. 15 I will destroy the winter house with the summer house. The houses of ivory will be destroyed. Many houses will be destroyed.” This is what the Lord said.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:2 Mount Carmel A mountain in northern Israel. The name means “God’s vineyard.” This shows that it was a very fertile hill.
  2. Amos 1:3 for the many crimes they did Literally, “for three crimes … and for four ….” This shows that these people were very sinful—and it was time to punish them. Also in verses 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6.
  3. Amos 1:4 Hazael Hazael was the king of Aram (Syria). He murdered Ben-Hadad I so that he could become king. See 2 Kings 8:7.
  4. Amos 1:4 Ben-Hadad Ben-Hadad II, the son of Hazael, king of Aram (Syria). See 2 Kings 13:3.
  5. Amos 1:5 Damascus The capital city of Aram (Syria).
  6. Amos 1:5 the Valley of Aven A name that can mean “Restful Valley” or “Empty Valley of Misfortune.”
  7. Amos 1:5 Beth Eden The royal city of Aram (Syria) on Mount Lebanon. This name means “House of Pleasure” or “Paradise.”
  8. Amos 1:5 Kir Or “Kur,” an area controlled by the Assyrians. See Amos 9:7.
  9. Amos 1:6 Gaza An important city of the Philistines.
  10. Amos 1:8 Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron Important cities of the Philistines.
  11. Amos 1:9 Tyre The capital city of Phoenicia.
  12. Amos 1:9 brothers The people of Israel.
  13. Amos 1:13 Ammonites The Ammonites were the descendants of Ben-Ammi, son of Lot. Read Gen. 19:38.
  14. Amos 1:14 Rabbah The capital city of the Ammonites.
  15. Amos 1:14 whirlwind A strong wind that blows in a circle.
  16. Amos 2:2 Kerioth A city in Moab. This might be Ar, the capital city of Moab.
  17. Amos 2:3 kings Literally, “judges.”
  18. Amos 2:8 as a promise for payment. See Deut. 24:12-13 for the rules about making loans to the poor.
  19. Amos 2:9 Amorites One of the nations who lived in Canaan before the Israelites came. They were the people who scared the Israelites while Moses was leading them in the desert. See Num. 13:33.
  20. Amos 2:9 fruit above … below This means the parents and their children.
  21. Amos 3:9 Ashdod An important city of the Philistines.
  22. Amos 3:14 Bethel A town in Israel. This name means “God’s house.”

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