¹These are the words of Amos [which tell] of things that took place [while he was at] KiriAth JaiRim in Tekoa and of the things that he saw concerning JeruSalem in the days of UzziAh the king of Judah, and in the days of JeroBoam (son of JoAsh) the king of IsraEl, two years before the earthquake.[He said:]²‘From Zion, Jehovah spoke out… From JeruSalem, He spoke and said this:‘Over their pastures, the shepherds will mourn About the drought on [Mount] CarMel.’³‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of these three godless deeds of Damascus (and even four), I won’t turn [My] attention away from them. For they used iron saws to saw open Those in GileAd with [babies] in their wombs.⁴‘So, to the house of HazaEl, I’ll send fire And burn the foundations of the sons of Hadad. Damascus and those in On’s plains, I’ll destroy; I’ll cut the men of Edem to bits; And Assyria’s best men will be captured,’ says Jehovah.⁶‘Then Jehovah said:‘For Gaza’s three godless deeds (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For they captured Solomon’s captives, And handed them over to Edom.⁷‘So, to Gaza’s walls, I’ll send fire, Which will eat her to her foundations. ⁸I’ll also destroy those in AshDod; And from AshKelon I’ll remove a whole tribe. Then I’ll bring My hand against EkRon And destroy the remaining Philistines,’ says Jehovah.⁹‘And then Jehovah said:‘Because of Tyre’s three godless deeds (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For they handed captives to Edom… Forgetting their treaty of brothers. ¹⁰So, to the walls of Tyre, I’ll send fire, Which will eat her to her foundations.’¹¹‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of Edom’s three godless deeds (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For they chased their brothers with swords, And [cut down] the mothers throughout the land… They seized [the mothers] by force As proof of their awesome terror, And they continued to do this until they’d won. ¹²So, I’ll send fire against TeMan Which will eat her to her foundations.’¹³‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of the three godless deeds Of the sons of AmMon (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For in GileAd they went and ripped open [Women] with [babies] in their wombs, Just to widen their borders.¹⁴‘So I’ll light a fire upon RabBah’s walls, Which will eat her to her foundations. Then I’ll raise cries of war in that day… And they’ll shake in the day she’s consumed. ¹⁵Into captivity, I’ll then send her king, Along with her rulers and priests,’ says Jehovah.

¹‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of MoAb’s three godless deeds (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For, the king of Edom’s bones, they burned into dust.²‘So, I’ll send fire upon MoAb, And it’ll devour their cities’ foundations. Then MoAb will be left without strength… She’ll hear cries and the blowing of trumpets. ³I’ll destroy all her judges and rulers… Yes, I’ll kill them all,’ says Jehovah.⁴‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of the three [lawless] deeds Of the sons of Judah (and even four), I won’t turn [my] attention from them. For they pushed [aside all My] Laws, And refused to follow My orders.‘So, I’ll cause them to wander And follow the foolish idols they’ve made, Which they’ve followed [since the time of] their fathers. ⁵Then, I’ll send fire upon Judah, And wipe JeruSalem to her foundations.’⁶‘And Jehovah said:‘Because of IsraEl’s three godless deeds (and even four), I won’t turn [My] attention from them. For, from the righteous and needy They demanded silver for sandals… ⁷[Things they need] to walk on the dust of the ground.‘They also trampled the heads of the poor, And turned the humble away. Then, with the very same slaves, Fathers and sons both had sex, So that they could profane the Name of their God.⁸‘Then, with their old clothes and rough cords, They erected booths next to My Altar, Where they drank the wine that they’d extorted There at the [Temple] of God!⁹‘Yet for them, I had wiped out the Amorites, Even though they’d become as strong as the oaks And as tall as the cedars… I removed all the fruit from their boughs, As well as the roots underneath them.¹⁰‘Then from the land of Egypt, I took them, And through the desert I led them During the next 40 years, So they could inherit the Amorites’ land.¹¹‘I also took their sons as [My] Prophets, And their young men to serve as My [Nazarites]. O Sons of IsraEl; Aren’t these the things that I did,’ asks Jehovah?¹²‘But to those [Nazarites], you then offered wine, And you told the Prophets not to foretell! ¹³So, because of this, I’ll roll over you Like a wagon loaded with stubble.¹⁴‘Then all hope of flight into exile By those who can run, will be lost; For the strong won’t be able to maintain their strength, And no way will the soldiers save their own lives.¹⁵‘Then you’ll find your bowmen unable to stand; Those fleet of foot won’t escape; Horseman won’t save their own lives; ¹⁶The strong won’t have mighty hearts; And in that day, they’ll flee naked,’ says Jehovah.

¹‘O house of IsraEl,‘Listen to these words of Jehovah That He’s pronouncing against you… To those tribes that He led out of Egypt. For, this is what He’s declared:²‘I’ve known only you Among all the tribes of earth; And because of this (because of your sins), I’ll take vengeance upon you!’³‘Can two walk together unless they’ve agreed? No!⁴‘Will a lion roar from the woods If he hasn’t [caught] any game? No!‘Will a cub call out from his lair If he hasn’t captured his prey? No!⁵‘Will a bird fall to the ground If it hasn’t [been shot by] a hunter? No!‘Will a snare snap shut without catching? No!⁶‘Will the sound of the trumpet be heard in a town Without terrorizing its people? No!‘Will harm ever come to a city Unless it’s been sent by Jehovah? No!⁷‘There’s nothing that God Jehovah will do, Unless it’s revealed to His servants, the Prophets. ⁸So as when a lion lets out a roar And all that hear it are fearful; When Jehovah God has something to say, What [Prophet] won’t prophesy?⁹‘So, you must make this pronouncement To Assyria and those down in Egypt! Tell them to gather on Samaria’s hills, And as they gaze at her wonders, They should notice the tyranny within her. ¹⁰Then, those who so treasure misery and injustice Will never see what’s coming,’ said Jehovah.¹¹‘So Jehovah, The God, sends them this message:‘Tyre and all that’s around it Will soon become desolation. For, I’ll remove all their strength, And then rip their regions to pieces!¹²‘Jehovah says:‘As a shepherd will pull from the mouth of a lion Two legs or part of an ear; That’s how IsraEl’s sons will be ripped (Those dwelling in Samaria and Damascus) By a tribe that they haven’t known.¹³‘And listen to this, O you Priests… Then to the house of Jacob, you must proclaim it,’ Says Jehovah, the Almighty God!¹⁴‘In the day of My vengeance upon IsraEl, I’ll destroy your altar at BethEl. And because of the godless things that you’ve done, They’ll cut off the horns of your altar Then knock it down to the ground!¹⁵‘I’ll also send you confusion, And I’ll strike the bins in your barns Where [the fruits of] your harvests are stored. Your ivory houses, I’ll also destroy, As well as the homes roundabout them,’ says Jehovah.

¹‘So, hear these words, O heifers of BaShan… Yes, you in Samaria’s mountains… You who are tyrants to the needy, And you who trample the poor... Those poor that must now beg their masters To give them something to drink!²‘For by all that He deems to be holy, Against them, God swore this oath:‘Look, the days will soon come When they’ll gather you and your families And throw you into hot cauldrons. ³You’ll be led away naked in lines, And they’ll scatter [your bones] on Mount HerMon,’ says Jehovah.⁴‘For, when you went up to BethEl You went there to do irreverent things. And at GilGal you did even worse… Although you brought sacrifices in the mornings, And on the third day, you brought in your tithes; ⁵Thereafter, you read outside of the Law, And demanded [special] offerings for confessions.‘So against you, I’ve made this pronouncement, Because IsraEl’s sons have loved all these things: ⁶To your cities, I now will send toothaches, And I’ll send famines of bread… For you left Me and never returned,’ says Jehovah.⁷‘I’ll hold back the rain on your crops for three months; Then, I’ll [send] rain to one town, But I’ll not send rain on another… Yes, I’ll send rain to one portion, And not send rain to another, So some places will become very dry.⁸‘Then, those from two or three cities Will go to one city to drink… But no way will they be satisfied, Because they won’t turn back to Me,’ says Jehovah.⁹‘Then I’ll strike you with jaundice and fire; And the vineyards and gardens you’ve gained, As well as your groves of olives and figs, Will all be eaten by bugs… But you still won’t turn back [to Me],’ says Jehovah.¹⁰‘Then from Egypt, I’ll send you a plague, And your young men, I’ll kill by the sword. Thereafter, I’ll take all your horses… And because this will just make you angry, Into your camps, I’ll send fire… Yet to Me, you still won’t return,’ says Jehovah.¹¹‘Like Sodom and GomorRah, I’ll wipe you away… I’ll make you like coals that are pulled from the flames… Yet to Me, you still won’t return,’ says Jehovah.¹²‘Because of such things, O IsraEl; Both this and that, I’ll then do to you Until you’re ready to call to your God!¹³‘Look! I’m the One who sends thunder… I’m also the One who created the wind And the One who tells men about His concerns.‘I’m the One who sends both the dawn and the fog, And I ride across the heights of the earth… Yes, I am Jehovah, the Almighty God!’

¹‘So, hear the word of Jehovah; For against you, He sang this lament:‘The house of IsraEl will fall, And thereafter, she won’t be raised. ²IsraEl (the virgin) will trip in her land, And there’ll be no one to lift her.’³‘And thus says Jehovah, [her] God:‘From a city that 1,000 had left, Only 100 will return; And from a town that 100 had left, Only 10 from IsraEl’s house will return.’⁴‘For, thus says Jehovah to the house of IsraEl:⁵‘Inquire of Me and you’ll live… Don’t [go to] BethEl And into GilGal don’t enter, Nor should you go to the Well of the Oath! For those going to GilGal will be captured, And BethEl will be wiped away.’⁶‘So inquire of Jehovah and live, As the house of JoSeph has done… And then you won’t have to be burned! For, [fire] will come and consume, And no one will quench IsraEl’s flames.⁷‘From the heights, it’s Jehovah who says what’s right And who sets the earth’s righteous [standards], ⁸For He’s the One who created it all, And who made everything different!‘He’s the One who turns shadows into morning And the day into the darkness of night; He’s the One who calls the water from the seas And pours it back on the face of the ground… He is Jehovah the Almighty God.⁹‘He’s the One who divides the conflicts and strengths And sends misery into the strongholds ¹⁰Of those who shout at His Prophets When they arrive at their gates… Because they hate those who speak holy words. ¹¹They’re the ones who strike the poor with their fists, And steal their choicest of treasures.‘Yes, I can see the paneled houses you’ve built… Homes in which you won’t live. I can also see the vineyards you’ve planted… From which you won’t drink the wine.¹²‘For I know all the [bad] things you’re doing And of how you’ve trampled the righteous… How you’ve inflated your prices, And turned the needy away from your gates. ¹³For during that time, I silently watched As [you were becoming] more evil.’¹⁴‘Now, ask for the good (not the bad) So that you can continue to live. If you’ll ask the Almighty to stay among you, He will provide the things that you need Whenever you’re willing to say, ¹⁵‘We hate what’s bad and love what’s good!’‘If you’ll return justice to your [city] gates; Jehovah the Almighty God Will show mercy on the remnants of JoSeph.¹⁶‘For, it’s because of such things,’‘...says Jehovah, the Almighty God,‘That you’ll beat your chests in your squares, And cry, ‘Woe [is me],’ in your streets!‘Then the farmers will be called to do mourning… They’ll be wailing and beating their chests. ¹⁷Yes they’ll know all the ways to beat on their chests, Because I’ll go through their midst,’ says Jehovah.¹⁸‘Woe to those who wish for the Day of the Lord; For, after they ask what the Lord’s Day will bring, They’ll find that it only brings darkness, not light!¹⁹‘It’s like when a man is fleeing a lion Or being attacked by a bear, And he rushes to his house and grabs hold of its walls… Just to be bitten by snakes. ²⁰For the Day of the Lord will bring darkness, not light… It’ll bring dimness, not brightness!²¹‘So, I’ve detested and I’ve pushed away All of your holiday feasts… For, in such things, I [find no delight]. ²²Therefore, should you bring whole burnt-offerings to Me Along with other sacrifices; I won’t receive them in favor Or approve of your gifts for salvation.²³‘So remove the sounds of your hymns… No I don’t want to hear the tunes of your psalms! ²⁴For the waters of judgment will pour down on you, And the river of righteousness, you won’t cross.²⁵‘O house of IsraEl; You brought [animal] victims to Me to be sacrificed During the 40 years in the desert. ²⁶But then, you chose Moloch’s tent And the star of Raiphan to serve as your gods… You molded idols of them for yourselves! ²⁷So beyond Damascus, I’ll move you...’‘...says Jehovah, the Almighty God.’

¹[‘And God continued, saying:]‘Woe to those who are treating Zion with contempt, And those putting trust in Samaria’s hills… Those who’ve harvested heads from the nations, And to whom the house of IsraEl has turned.²‘Now, pass through them all and take a good look; Travel to HaMath of RabBah And to Gath of the Philistines. Is yours any better than these kingdoms? Are your borders any larger than theirs?³‘So an evil day will soon come, To those hanging onto false Sabbaths… ⁴Those who sleep in ivory beds And waste their lives on divans.‘They eat the kids of the flocks And the suckling young calves from the midst of the herds. ⁵They clap along as [music] is played, And think of themselves as [eternal] (Not as something that’s passing away).⁶‘They drink [the best] filtered wine; They wear the best of colognes; And about the destruction of JoSeph, They still remain unconcerned. ⁷But soon, they’ll be led into exile, And their feasting and lounging will end.’⁸‘Then Jehovah swore this oath by Himself:‘Because I abhor the insults of Jacob And detest their fortified cities; I’ll now lift them away Along with all those who live there.⁹‘So if 10 should survive in a house, They’ll all die after that. ¹⁰Yes, they’ll walk away from their [loved ones], And not retrieve their bones from their homes.‘They’ll just ask those in charge of their homes If any are still left within them; And these will answer, ‘No longer.’ Then another will say:‘Just be quiet… Don’t mention the Name of the Lord. ¹¹For, {Look!) He’s the One who gave them the order To strike our mansions with fractures, And to shred our small homes!’¹²‘Will horses run in the rocks? No! Will stallions stay silent near mares? No! But, you’ve replaced true justice with rage And turned righteous fruit into bitter. ¹³You’re also glad to hear bad reports, And you say:‘We’re so mighty that we’ve grown horns!’¹⁴‘So, O house of IsraEl, Be careful! For I’m arousing a nation against you That will [surround you] and then hem you in To keep you from running to HamAth And to the western ravine.’

¹Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord showed me [a vision of] a breed of locusts that arrived early in the morning, being led by Gog the grasshopper king. ²These [locusts] came to devour all the grass in the land [of IsraEl].So I shouted:‘O Lord, please be kind; for, who’ll raise Jacob again, since so few now remain? ³O Lord, please change Your mind about this thing that You’re doing!’But the [messenger of the] Lord replied:‘That won’t happen.’⁴Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord took me and showed me that he’d also called fire down upon them as their punishment… And [this fire] devoured everything to the depths [of the great sea], as well as a portion [of the land].⁵And I said:‘O Lord God, please stop! Who’ll raise Jacob again now that so few are left? O Lord, please change your mind about doing this!⁶But the Lord replied:‘That won’t happen.’⁷Then the Lord [took me] and showed me something… {Look!} he was standing on a straight wall with a plumb line in His hand. ⁸And the [messenger of the] Lord asked me:‘What do you see, Amos?’And I replied:‘A plumb line.’Then the [messenger of the] Lord said to me:‘{Look!} In the midst of IsraEl, my people, I’ve now set a plumb line, And beyond it, I’ll no longer pass.⁹‘I’ll wipe their shrines to laughter away, And their sites of mystic rites will lie ruined; For against the house of [King] JeroBoam, I’m now sending the broadsword.’¹⁰Well after that, AmaziAh (the priest of BethEl) sent [a message] to JeroBoam (the king of IsraEl) that said:‘Amos is hatching a plot against you there in the midst of the house of IsraEl, and there’s no way that the land will be able to endure the things that he’s saying. ¹¹For Amos is [telling the people] that JeroBoam will be destroyed by the broadsword, and that IsraEl will be led away from this land as captives.’¹²And later, AmaziAh said this to Amos (there in front of everyone):‘Get out of here and go to the land of Judah!‘Spend the rest of your life there and do all your prophesying there! ¹³You may no longer prophesy here in BethEl, for this is the sanctuary of the king and the place of his royal palace!’¹⁴But I (Amos) replied to AmaziAh:‘I wasn’t a prophet or a prophet’s son; I was just a herder of sheep and someone who picked the fruit of mulberry trees. ¹⁵But then Jehovah took me away from my sheep and said to me:‘Go and prophesy over My people IsraEl!’¹⁶‘So now, listen to what the Lord told me! Because you’ve warned me not to prophesy over IsraEl, and you’ve said:‘There’s no way that armies will be led against the house of Jacob...’¹⁷‘...this is what was said by Jehovah:‘Your wife will become a city prostitute, And your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Then they’ll measure your land with a plumb line, And you’ll come to your end in a place that’s unclean. For, IsraEl will in fact be led from this land… They’ll be carried away as captives.’

¹Then {Look!} the [messenger of the] Lord came and showed me the cage of a bird hunter, ²and he asked:‘What do you see, Amos?’And I replied:‘A bird cage.’Then the [messenger of the] Lord said:‘These things were said by Jehovah:‘My people, IsraEl, have now reached their end, For I’ll overlook what they’re doing no longer.³‘So in that day... There’ll be screams from their temples and stock pens… For there’ll be many [people] that fall there, As I bring silence to this place.’⁴‘So listen, O you who are destroying the needy, And those tyrannizing the poor… ⁵Yes, all of you who keep asking When the [New Moons] will be over So that you can go back to your trading… And you who look for the Sabbaths to end So that you can open your [cash drawers], Then measure out small and [unfairly] By adding weights to the things that you weigh, And by using unbalanced scales. ⁶Then, from the needy and poor, You take all of their silver In return for sandals and [clothes].’⁷And after that, Jehovah swore this oath against Jacob’s pride:‘Do you think that I’ll forget about this And that I’ll let you win? Well, I won’t!’⁸Then [He said]:‘Won’t this bring disturbance to the land, And won’t all who live there start mourning? For destruction will rise like a river, And in its deep waters they’ll sink.’⁹Jehovah said:‘Then the sun will set at midday, And the land will get dark in the daytime. ¹⁰So their holiday feasts will turn into mourning, And all of their songs into wailing.‘Then, upon every loin, I’ll bring sackcloth, And baldness, I’ll bring upon every head. I’ll appoint them as those who mourn loved ones, And their happy days, I’ll turn into grief.¹¹‘Look, the days are coming,’ says Jehovah, ‘When to this land, I’ll send famine… But it won’t be a famine of bread Nor a famine of water, But a famine of hearing the Word of Jehovah.¹²‘Then from sea to sea, the waters will shake, And [people] will run from the north to the east Seeking the Word of Jehovah. But then, no way will they find it.¹³‘In that day, all of your pretty virgins And all of your [handsome] young men Will be wilting from thirst.¹⁴‘And those who swear oaths by Samaria’s Redeemer, And say, O Dan, as your god lives, Or, As your god lives, O BeerSheba… These will fall and not rise again.’

¹Well after that, I saw the [messenger of the] Lord standing at the Altar, and he said:‘Strike the Lid [of the Chest] and shake all its [Temple] gates, Then cut off all of their heads, And kill the rest with the broadsword! There’s no way that they can escape, And no way that they’ll be saved!²‘So if they should [hide] in the place of the dead; My hand will [reach down and] grab them. And if they should [fly] into the sky; From there, I’ll drag them back down.³‘If they should hide on [Mount] CarMel, I’ll search for them there and I’ll grab them. And if they hide from my eyes in the depths of the seas, I’ll send a wild beast to bite them.⁴‘If their enemies should take them as captives, I’ll instruct their broadswords to kill them… Yes, it’s for the bad, not for the good That I’ve set my eyes on them.⁵‘For Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty Has grabbed the land and ordered a shaking. Then, all who dwell there will mourn… It’ll rise and fall like the Nile.⁶‘And the One who built His [home] in the skies… The One who founded the earth… The One who calls water out of the seas And pours it back on the land… The One whose Name is Jehovah, says this:⁷‘O sons of IsraEl,‘To Me, you aren’t like the descendents of Kush, For I’m the One who led you from Egypt, And from the Cappadocian Philistines, Then from the Syrians of Kir.⁸‘{Look!} For My eyes watch the kingdoms of sinners Whom I then remove from the face of the earth. But the one whom I won’t completely remove Is the house of [My servant] Jacob, says Jehovah.⁹‘But, {Look!} I’ll issue My orders And cause IsraEl’s house to be threshed [Along with] the rest of the nations In the same way that you’d winnow with a shovel… And no broken pieces will [be overlooked].¹⁰‘Then, it’ll be by the broadsword That the sinners among My people will end… Yes, all of those who now say:‘Such bad things will never approach us… These things won’t happen to us!’¹¹‘And in that day, the tent of David that has fallen Will thereafter stand once again And its [broken] things, I’ll rebuild… The things I cut down, I’ll raise… I’ll rebuild it as it had been before.¹²‘Then, those who are left of the nations May inquire of those who’ve called on My Name,’‘...says Jehovah, the One who’ll do all these things.’¹³‘For the days are coming, says Jehovah, When the harvests will last to the threshing And grapes will stay ripe until planting. The mountains will trickle down sweetness, And [there’ll be] crops upon all the hills.¹⁴‘Then, I’ll bring back My people (Those who were carried away… The IsraElites that had been captured) And they’ll rebuild their cities (Yes, they’ll live in them again). Then, they’ll plant vineyards and drink their own wine… They’ll plant gardens and eat their own fruit!¹⁵‘Upon their own ground, I’ll plant them, And from this land that I gave them, They’ll no longer be uprooted.’‘...says Jehovah, The God.’