1 I am Amos. And I raised sheep near the town of Tekoa when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
Two years before the earthquake, the Lord gave me several messages about Israel, 2 and I said:
When the Lord roars
from Jerusalem,
pasturelands and Mount Carmel
dry up and turn brown.
Judgment on Syria
3 The Lord said:
I will punish Syria
for countless crimes,
and I won't change my mind.
They dragged logs with spikes
over the people of Gilead.
4 Now I will burn down the palaces
and fortresses of King Hazael
and of King Benhadad.
5 I will break through
the gates of Damascus.
I will destroy the people
of Wicked Valley
and the ruler of Beth-Eden.
Then the Syrians will be dragged
as prisoners to Kir.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Judgment on Philistia
6 The Lord said:
I will punish Philistia
for countless crimes,
and I won't change my mind.
They dragged off my people
from town after town
to sell them as slaves
to the Edomites.
7 That's why I will burn down
the walls and fortresses
of the city of Gaza.
8 I will destroy the king of Ashdod
and the ruler of Ashkelon.
I will strike down Ekron,
and that will be the end
of the Philistines.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Judgment on Phoenicia
9 The Lord said:
I will punish Phoenicia
for countless crimes,
and I won't change my mind.
They broke their treaty
and dragged off my people
from town after town
to sell them as slaves
to the Edomites.
10 That's why I will send flames
to burn down the city of Tyre
along with its fortresses.
Judgment on Edom
11 The Lord said:
I will punish Edom
for countless crimes,
and I won't change my mind.
They killed their own relatives
and were so terribly furious
that they showed no mercy.
12 Now I will send fire to wipe out
the fortresses of Teman
and Bozrah.
Judgment on Ammon
13 The Lord said:
I will punish Ammon
for countless crimes,
and I won't change my mind.
In Gilead they ripped open
pregnant women,
just to take the land.
14 Now I will send fire to destroy
the walls and fortresses
of Rabbah.
Enemies will shout and attack
like a whirlwind.
15 Ammon's king and leaders
will be dragged away.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.
3 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: 4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad. 5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD.
6 ¶ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: 7 But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 8 And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.
9 ¶ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant: 10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.
11 ¶ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: 12 But I will send a fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
13 ¶ Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border: 14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind: 15 And their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith the LORD.