Amos 1
1
1The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa – the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash#1:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash was king of Israel.
2He said:
‘The Lord roars from Zion
and thunders from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
and the top of Carmel withers.’
Judgment on Israel’s neighbours
3This is what the Lord says:
‘For three sins of Damascus,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because she threshed Gilead
with sledges having iron teeth,
4I will send fire on the house of Hazael
that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.
5I will break down the gate of Damascus;
I will destroy the king who is in#1:5 Or the inhabitants of the Valley of Aven#1:5 Aven means wickedness.
and the one who holds the sceptre in Beth Eden.
The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,’
says the Lord.
6This is what the Lord says:
‘For three sins of Gaza,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because she took captive whole communities
and sold them to Edom,
7I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
that will consume her fortresses.
8I will destroy the king#1:8 Or inhabitants of Ashdod
and the one who holds the sceptre in Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand against Ekron,
till the last of the Philistines are dead,’
says the Sovereign Lord.
9This is what the Lord says:
‘For three sins of Tyre,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,
disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,
10I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
that will consume her fortresses.’
11This is what the Lord says:
‘For three sins of Edom,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he pursued his brother with a sword
and slaughtered the women of the land,
because his anger raged continually
and his fury flamed unchecked,
12I will send fire on Teman
that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.’
13This is what the Lord says:
‘For three sins of Ammon,
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
in order to extend his borders,
14I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah
that will consume her fortresses
amid war cries on the day of battle,
amid violent winds on a stormy day.
15Her king#1:15 Or / Molek will go into exile,
he and his officials together,’
says the Lord.
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Amos 1: NIVUK
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
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Amos 1
1
1The words of Amos, who was one of the sheepbreeders from Tekoa,#Zec 14:5. which he received in a vision concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.#The earthquake: a major earthquake during the reign of Uzziah (ca. 783–742 B.C.), so devastating that it was remembered long afterwards (cf. Zec 14:5). See the description of an earthquake in Amos’s final vision (9:1). 2He said:
The Lord roars from Zion,#Significantly, the roar comes to the Northern Kingdom from Jerusalem. This verse, perhaps an editorial remark, sets the tone of Amos’s message.
and raises his voice from Jerusalem;
The pastures of the shepherds languish,
and the summit of Carmel withers.#Jer 25:30; Jl 4:16.
II. ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS#1:3–2:16] All the nations mentioned here may have been part of the ideal empire of David-Solomon (cf. 1 Kgs 5:1; 2 Kgs 14:25). Certain standards of conduct were expected not only in their relations with Israel but also with one another.
Aram
3Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of Damascus, and now four—#For three crimes…and now four: this formula (n, n + 1) is frequent in poetry (e.g., Prv 6:16–19; 30:18–19). The progression “three” followed by “four” here suggests a climax. The fourth crime is one too many and exhausts the Lord’s forbearance.
I will not take it back—
Because they threshed Gilead
with sledges of iron,
4I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.#Hazael…Ben-hadad: kings of the Arameans whose capital was Damascus (v. 5); they fought against Israel (2 Kgs 13:3) and had long occupied the region of Gilead (v. 3) in Transjordan. #2 Kgs 13:3–7; Hos 8:14.
5I will break the barred gate of Damascus;
From the Valley of Aven#Valley of Aven: lit., “valley of wickedness,” perhaps a distortion of a place name in Aramean territory, identity unknown. Beth-eden: an Aramean city-state on the Euphrates, about two hundred miles northeast of Damascus, called Bit-adini in Assyro-Babylonian texts. Kir: cf. 9:7; probably to be identified with the city of Emar on the Euphrates, a major Aramean center in the Late Bronze Age. One text from this site calls the king of Emar “the king of the people of the land of Kir.” I will cut off the one enthroned,
And the sceptered ruler from Beth-eden;
the people of Aram shall be exiled to Kir,#2 Kgs 16:9. says the Lord.
Philistia
6Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of Gaza, and now four—
I will not take it back—
Because they exiled an entire population,
handing them over to Edom,
7I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza,
and it will devour its strongholds;
8From Ashdod I will cut off the one enthroned
and the sceptered ruler from Ashkelon;
I will turn my hand against Ekron,
and the last of the Philistines shall perish,
says the Lord God.
Tyre
9Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of Tyre, and now four—
I will not take it back—
Because they handed over an entire population to Edom,
and did not remember their covenant of brotherhood,#Did not remember their covenant of brotherhood: standard diplomatic language of this period, meaning “violated the treaty.” The violation may not have been against Israel itself but against a fellow “subject” nation of the ideal Davidic-Solomonic empire (cf. 2:1).
10I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre,
and it will devour its strongholds.
Edom
11Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of Edom, and now four—
I will not take it back—
Because he pursued his brother#Pursued his brother: “brother” here may denote a fellow vassal or subject of Israel. with the sword,
suppressing all pity,
Persisting in his anger,
his wrath raging without end,
12I will send fire upon Teman,
and it will devour the strongholds of Bozrah.#Teman…Bozrah: two of the chief cities of Edom; cf. Jer 49:20.
Ammon
13Thus says the Lord:
For three crimes of the Ammonites, and now four—
I will not take it back—
Because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead,#2 Kgs 8:12; 15:16.
in order to extend their territory,
14I will kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah,#Rabbah: now called Amman, the modern capital of Jordan.
and it will devour its strongholds
Amid war cries on the day of battle,
amid stormwind on the day of tempest.
15Their king shall go into exile,
he and his princes with him, says the Lord.
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