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Amos 1-2
Easy-to-Read Version
Amos 1-2
Easy-to-Read Version
Introduction
1 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
2 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.”
3 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. 4 So I will start a fire at Hazael’s[c] house that will destroy the great palaces of Ben-Hadad.[d]
5 “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
6 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. 7 So I will start a fire at the wall of Gaza that will destroy the high towers in Gaza. 8 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
9 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
2 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. 2 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. 3 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
4 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. 5 So I will start a fire in Judah that will destroy the high towers of Jerusalem.”
Punishment for Israel
6 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. 7 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. 8 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.
9 “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.
Footnotes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Amos 1:4 Ben-Hadad Ben-Hadad II, the son of Hazael, king of Aram (Syria). See 2 Kings 13:3.
- Amos 1:5 Damascus The capital city of Aram (Syria).
- Amos 1:5 the Valley of Aven A name that can mean “Restful Valley” or “Empty Valley of Misfortune.”
- Amos 1:5 Beth Eden The royal city of Aram (Syria) on Mount Lebanon. This name means “House of Pleasure” or “Paradise.”
- Amos 1:5 Kir Or “Kur,” an area controlled by the Assyrians. See Amos 9:7.
- Amos 1:6 Gaza An important city of the Philistines.
- Amos 1:8 Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron Important cities of the Philistines.
- Amos 1:9 Tyre The capital city of Phoenicia.
- Amos 1:9 brothers The people of Israel.
- Amos 1:13 Ammonites The Ammonites were the descendants of Ben-Ammi, son of Lot. Read Gen. 19:38.
- Amos 1:14 Rabbah The capital city of the Ammonites.
- Amos 1:14 whirlwind A strong wind that blows in a circle.
- Amos 2:2 Kerioth A city in Moab. This might be Ar, the capital city of Moab.
- Amos 2:3 kings Literally, “judges.”
- Amos 2:8 as a promise for payment. See Deut. 24:12-13 for the rules about making loans to the poor.
- 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.
- Amos 2:9 fruit above … below This means the parents and their children.
Amos 1-2
New International Version
Amos 1-2
New International Version
1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa(A)—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake,(B) when Uzziah(C) was king of Judah and Jeroboam(D) son of Jehoash[a] was king of Israel.(E)
2 He said:
“The Lord roars(F) from Zion
and thunders(G) from Jerusalem;(H)
the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
and the top of Carmel(I) withers.”(J)
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
3 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Damascus,(K)
even for four, I will not relent.(L)
Because she threshed Gilead
with sledges having iron teeth,
4 I will send fire(M) on the house of Hazael(N)
that will consume the fortresses(O) of Ben-Hadad.(P)
5 I will break down the gate(Q) of Damascus;
I will destroy the king who is in[b] the Valley of Aven[c]
and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.(R)
The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,(S)”
says the Lord.(T)
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Gaza,(U)
even for four, I will not relent.(V)
Because she took captive whole communities
and sold them to Edom,(W)
7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
that will consume her fortresses.
8 I will destroy the king[d] of Ashdod(X)
and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand(Y) against Ekron,
till the last of the Philistines(Z) are dead,”(AA)
says the Sovereign Lord.(AB)
9 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Tyre,(AC)
even for four, I will not relent.(AD)
Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,
disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,(AE)
10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
that will consume her fortresses.(AF)”
11 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Edom,(AG)
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he pursued his brother with a sword(AH)
and slaughtered the women of the land,
because his anger raged continually
and his fury flamed unchecked,(AI)
12 I will send fire on Teman(AJ)
that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.(AK)”
13 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Ammon,(AL)
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he ripped open the pregnant women(AM) of Gilead
in order to extend his borders,
14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah(AN)
that will consume(AO) her fortresses
amid war cries(AP) on the day of battle,
amid violent winds(AQ) on a stormy day.
15 Her king[e] will go into exile,
he and his officials together,(AR)”
says the Lord.(AS)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Moab,(AT)
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he burned to ashes(AU)
the bones of Edom’s king,
2 I will send fire on Moab
that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth.[f](AV)
Moab will go down in great tumult
amid war cries(AW) and the blast of the trumpet.(AX)
3 I will destroy her ruler(AY)
and kill all her officials with him,”(AZ)
says the Lord.(BA)
4 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Judah,(BB)
even for four, I will not relent.
Because they have rejected the law(BC) of the Lord
and have not kept his decrees,(BD)
because they have been led astray(BE) by false gods,[g](BF)
the gods[h] their ancestors followed,(BG)
5 I will send fire(BH) on Judah
that will consume the fortresses(BI) of Jerusalem.(BJ)”
Judgment on Israel
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Israel,
even for four, I will not relent.(BK)
They sell the innocent for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.(BL)
7 They trample on the heads of the poor
as on the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl
and so profane my holy name.(BM)
8 They lie down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge.(BN)
In the house of their god
they drink wine(BO) taken as fines.(BP)
9 “Yet I destroyed the Amorites(BQ) before them,
though they were tall(BR) as the cedars
and strong as the oaks.(BS)
I destroyed their fruit above
and their roots(BT) below.
10 I brought you up out of Egypt(BU)
and led(BV) you forty years in the wilderness(BW)
to give you the land of the Amorites.(BX)
11 “I also raised up prophets(BY) from among your children
and Nazirites(BZ) from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine
and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.(CA)
13 “Now then, I will crush you
as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.(CB)
14 The swift will not escape,(CC)
the strong(CD) will not muster their strength,
and the warrior will not save his life.(CE)
15 The archer(CF) will not stand his ground,
the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,
and the horseman(CG) will not save his life.(CH)
16 Even the bravest warriors(CI)
will flee naked on that day,”
declares the Lord.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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