Bible: Amos 1-2
Introduction
1:1 The following is a record of what Amos prophesied. 1 He 2 was one of the herdsmen from Tekoa. These prophecies about Israel were revealed to him 3 during the time of 4 King Uzziah of Judah and 5 King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 6
God Will Judge the Surrounding Nations
1:2 Amos 7 said:
“The
from Jerusalem 9 he comes bellowing! 10
The shepherds’ pastures wilt; 11
the summit of Carmel 12 withers.” 13
1:3 This is what the
“Because Damascus has committed three crimes 14 –
make that four! 15 – I will not revoke my
decree of judgment. 16
They ripped through Gilead like threshing sledges with iron teeth. 17
1:4 So I will set Hazael’s house 18 on fire;
fire 19 will consume Ben Hadad’s 20 fortresses.
1:5 I will break the bar 21 on the gate of Damascus.
I will remove 22 the ruler 23 from Wicked Valley, 24
the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden. 25
The people of Aram will be deported to Kir.” 26
The
1:6 This is what the
“Because Gaza 27 has committed three crimes 28 –
make that four! 29 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 30
They deported a whole community 31 and sold them 32 to Edom.
1:7 So I will set Gaza’s city wall 33 on fire;
fire 34 will consume her fortresses.
1:8 I will remove 35 the ruler 36 from Ashdod, 37
the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. 38
I will strike Ekron 39 with my hand; 40
the rest of the Philistines will also die.” 41
The sovereign
1:9 This is what the
“Because Tyre has committed three crimes 42 –
make that four! 43 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 44
They sold 45 a whole community 46 to Edom;
they failed to observe 47 a treaty of brotherhood. 48
1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; 49
fire 50 will consume her fortresses.”
1:11 This is what the
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 51 –
make that four! 52 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 53
He chased his brother 54 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 55
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 56
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 57
1:12 So I will set Teman 58 on fire;
fire 59 will consume Bozrah’s 60 fortresses.”
1:13 This is what the
“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes 61 –
make that four! 62 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 63
They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women 64
so they could expand their territory.
1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s 65 city wall; 66
fire 67 will consume her fortresses.
War cries will be heard on the day of battle; 68
a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 69
1:15 Ammon’s 70 king will be deported; 71
he and his officials 72 will be carried off 73 together.”
The
2:1 This is what the
“Because Moab has committed three crimes 74 –
make that four! 75 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 76
They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime. 77
2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, 78
and it will consume Kerioth’s 79 fortresses.
Moab will perish 80 in the heat of battle 81
amid war cries and the blaring 82 of the ram’s horn. 83
2:3 I will remove 84 Moab’s leader; 85
I will kill all Moab’s 86 officials 87 with him.”
The
2:4 This is what the
“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions 88 –
make that four! 89 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 90
They rejected the
they did not obey his commands.
Their false gods, 92
to which their fathers were loyal, 93
led them astray.
2:5 So I will set Judah on fire,
and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” 94
God Will Judge Israel
2:6 This is what the
“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions 95 –
make that four! 96 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 97
They sold the innocent 98 for silver,
the needy for a pair of sandals. 99
2:7 They trample 100 on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; 101
they push the destitute away. 102
A man and his father go to the same girl; 103
in this way they show disrespect 104 for my moral purity. 105
2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral;
they do so right 106 beside every altar!
They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied;
they do so right in the temple 107 of their God! 108
2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. 109
They were as tall as cedars 110
and as strong as oaks,
but I destroyed the fruit on their branches 111
and their roots in the ground. 112
2:10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt;
I led you through the wilderness for forty years
so you could take the Amorites’ land as your own.
2:11 I made some of your sons prophets
and some of your young men Nazirites. 113
Is this not true, you Israelites?”
The
2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; 114
you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’
2:13 Look! I will press you down,
like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 115
2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; 116
strong men will have no strength left; 117
warriors will not be able to save their lives.
2:15 Archers 118 will not hold their ground; 119
fast runners will not save their lives,
nor will those who ride horses. 120
2:16 Bravehearted 121 warriors will run away naked in that day.”
The