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] 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[2] the Valley of Aven[3] 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[4] 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[5] will go into exile, he and his officials together,’ says the Lord.
2And he said: “The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” (Jos 19:26; Ps 65:12; Joe 3:16; Am 9:3)3Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[3] because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. (2Ki 10:33; Pr 30:15; Pr 30:18; Pr 30:21; Pr 30:29; Isa 8:4; Isa 21:10; Am 1:9; Am 1:11; Am 1:13; Am 2:1; Am 2:4; Am 2:6)4So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. (2Ki 13:24; Jer 49:27)5I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven,[4] and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord. (2Ki 16:9; 2Ki 19:12; Jer 51:30; Ho 4:15; Am 1:3; Am 9:7)6Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. (2Ch 28:18; Jer 47:1; Jer 47:5; Joe 3:4; Am 1:3; Zep 2:4; Zec 9:5)7So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. (Am 1:6)8I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord God. (1Sa 5:1; Am 3:9)9Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood. (Joe 3:4; Am 1:3)10So I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds.” (Am 1:9)11Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever. (2Ch 28:17; Ps 137:7; Eze 35:5; Joe 3:19; Am 1:3; Mal 1:4)12So I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.” (1Ch 1:44; 1Ch 1:45; Isa 63:1; Ob 1:9)13Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. (Jer 49:1; Ho 13:16; Am 1:3; Zep 2:8)14So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; (2Sa 11:1; 2Sa 12:26; Eze 21:20; Eze 21:28)15and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes[5] together,” says the Lord. (Jer 49:3)