The Judgments on Israel's Neighbors

11 Words of Amos—who hath been among herdsmen of Tekoa—that he hath seen 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 shaking; 2 and he saith: Jehovah from Zion doth roar, And from Jerusalem giveth forth His voice, And mourned have pastures of the shepherds, And withered hath the top of Carmel!

3 And thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Damascus, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their threshing Gilead with sharp-pointed irons, 4 And I have sent a fire against the house of Hazael, And it hath consumed the palaces of Ben-Hadad. 5 And I have broken the bar of Damascus, And cut off the inhabitant from Bikat-Aven, And a holder of a sceptre from Beth-Eden, And removed have been the people of Aram to Kir, said Jehovah. 6 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Gaza, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their removing a complete captivity, To deliver up to Edom, 7 And I have sent a fire against the wall of Gaza, And it hath consumed her palaces; 8 And I have cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, And a holder of a sceptre from Ashkelon, And have turned back My hand against Ekron, And perished have the remnant of the Philistines, Said the Lord Jehovah. 9 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Tyre, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their delivering up a complete captivity to Edom, And they remembered not the brotherly covenant, 10 And I have sent a fire against the wall of Tyre, And it hath consumed her palaces. 11 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of his pursuing with a sword his brother, And he hath destroyed his mercies, And tear perpetually doth his anger, And his wrath—he hath kept it for ever, 12 And I have sent a fire against Teman, And it hath consumed palaces of Bozrah. 13 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their ripping up the pregnant ones of Gilead, To enlarge their border, 14 And I have kindled a fire against the wall of Rabbah, And it hath consumed her palaces, With a shout in a day of battle, With a whirlwind in a day of hurricane, 15 And gone hath their king in a removal, He and his heads together, said Jehovah!

21 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of his burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime, 2 And I have sent a fire against Moab, And it hath consumed the palaces of Kerioth, And dying with noise is Moab, With shouting, with voice of a trumpet. 3 And I have cut off a judge from her midst, And all its heads I slay with him, said Jehovah. 4 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Judah, And for four, I do not reserve it, Because of their loathing the law of Jehovah, And His statutes they have not kept, And their lies do cause them to err, After which their fathers did walk, 5 And I have sent a fire against Judah, And it hath consumed palaces of Jerusalem.

The Judgment on Israel

6 Thus said Jehovah: For three transgressions of Israel, And for four, I do not reverse it, Because of their selling for silver the righteous, And the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 Who are panting for the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, And the way of the humble they turn aside, And a man and his father go unto the damsel, So as to pollute My holy name. 8 And on pledged garments they stretch themselves near every altar, And the wine of fined ones they drink 'in' the house of their gods.

9 And I—I have destroyed the Amorite from before them, Whose height 'is' as the height of cedars, And strong he 'is' as the oaks, And I destroy his fruit from above, And his roots from beneath. 10 And I—I have brought you up from the land of Egypt, And cause you to go in a wilderness forty years, To possess the land of the Amorite. 11 And I raise of your sons for prophets, And of your choice ones for Nazarites, Is not this true, O sons of Israel? An affirmation of Jehovah. 12 And ye cause the Nazarites to drink wine, And on the prophets ye have laid a charge, Saying, 'Do not prophecy!' 13 Lo, I am pressing you under, As the full cart doth press for itself a sheaf. 14 And perished hath refuge from the swift, And the strong strengtheneth not his power, And the mighty delivereth not his soul. 15 And the handler of the bow standeth not, And the swift with his feet delivereth not 'himself', And the rider of the horse delivereth not his soul. 16 And the courageous of heart among the mighty, Naked doth flee in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah!

The Roar of the Lion

31 Hear ye this word that Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O sons of Israel, concerning all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: 2 Only you I have known of all families of the land, Therefore I charge on you all your iniquities. 3 Do two walk together if they have not met? 4 Roar doth a lion in a forest and prey he hath none? Give out doth a young lion his voice from his habitation, If he hath not caught? 5 Doth a bird fall into a snare of the earth, And there is no gin for it? Doth a snare go up from the ground, And prey it captureth not? 6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, And do people not tremble? Is there affliction in a city, And Jehovah hath not done 'it'? 7 For the Lord Jehovah doth nothing, Except He hath revealed His counsel unto His servants the prophets. 8 A lion hath roared—who doth not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken—who doth not prophesy?

The Doom of Samaria

9 Sound ye unto palaces in Ashdod, And to palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Be ye gathered on mountains of Samaria, And see many troubles within her, And oppressed ones in her midst. 10 And they have not known to act straightforwardly, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces. 11 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: An adversary—and surrounding the land, And he hath brought down from thee thy strength, And spoiled have been thy palaces. 12 Thus said Jehovah: As the shepherd delivereth from the lion's mouth Two legs, or a piece of an ear, So delivered are the sons of Israel, Who are sitting in Samaria on the corner of a bed, And in Damascus 'on that of' a couch. 13 Hear ye and testify to the house of Jacob, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, God of Hosts. 14 For in the day of My charging the transgressions of Israel on him, I have laid a charge on the altars of Beth-El, And cut off have been the horns of the altar, And they have fallen to the earth. 15 And I have smitten the winter-house with the summer-house, And perished have houses of ivory, And consumed have been many houses, An affirmation of Jehovah!

41 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, Who 'are' in the mountain of Samaria, Who are oppressing the poor, Who are bruising the needy, Who are saying to their lords: 'Bring in, and we do drink.' 2 Sworn hath the Lord Jehovah by His holiness, That lo, days are coming upon you, And he hath taken you away with hooks, And your posterity with fish-hooks. 3 And 'by' breaches ye go forth, A woman 'at that' over-against her, And ye have cast down the high place, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Israel's Failure to Profit from God's Punishments

4 Enter ye Beth-El, and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression, And bring in every morning your sacrifices, Every third year your tithes. 5 And perfume with leaven a thank-offering, And proclaim willing gifts, sound ye! For so ye have loved, O sons of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

6 And I also—I have given to you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, And lack of bread in all your places, And ye have not turned back unto Me, an affirmation of Jehovah. 7 And I also—I have withheld from you the rain. While yet three months to harvest, And I have sent rain on one city, And on another city I do not send rain, One portion is rained on, And the portion on which it raineth not withereth. 8 And wandered have two or three cities, Unto the same city to drink water, And they are not satisfied, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah. 9 I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew, The abundance of your gardens and of your vineyards, And of your figs, and of your olives, Eat doth the palmer-worm, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah. 10 I have sent among you pestilence by the way of Egypt, I have slain by sword your choice ones, With your captive horses, And I cause the stink of your camps to come up—even into your nostrils, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah. 11 I have overturned among you, Like the overturn by God of Sodom and Gomorrah, And ye are as a brand delivered from a burning, And ye have not turned back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah. 12 Therefore, thus I do to thee, O Israel, at last, Because this I do to thee, Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. 13 For, lo, the former of mountains, and creator of wind, And the declarer to man what 'is' His thought, He is making dawn obscurity, And is treading on high places of earth, Jehovah, God of Hosts, 'is' His name!

A Call to Repentance

51 Hear this word that I am bearing to you, A lamentation, O house of Israel: 2 'Fallen, not again to rise, hath the virgin of Israel, Left on her land—she hath no raiser up.' 3 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city that is going out a thousand, Doth leave an hundred, And that which is going out an hundred, Doth leave ten to the house of Israel.

4 For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live, 5 And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity. 6 Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire 'against' the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El. 7 Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down, 8 The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day 'as' night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah 'is' His name; 9 Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh. 10 They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate. 11 Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine. 12 For I have known—many 'are' your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside. 13 Therefore is the wise at that time silent, For an evil time it 'is'. 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, 'is' with you, as ye said. 15 Hate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places 'is' lamentation, And in all out-places they say, 'Alas, alas,' And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing. 17 And in all vineyards 'is' lamentation, For I pass into thy midst, said Jehovah. 18 Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why 'is' this to you—the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light, 19 As 'when' one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him. 20 Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

21 I have hated—I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints. 22 For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not. 23 Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not. 24 And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream. 25 Sacrifices and offering did ye bring nigh to Me, In a wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 And ye bare Succoth your king, and Chiun your images, The star of your god, that ye made for yourselves. 27 And I removed you beyond Damascus, Said Jehovah, God of Hosts 'is' His name.