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Amos
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1 Here is the message that was given to Amos, a shepherd from Tekoa in Judah. This is what he saw* The message was given through visions. concerning Israel when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam, son of Jehoash, was king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said,† Because the vast majority of the book is the message from God, it seems better not to use quotation marks to identify such words as they would be generally superfluous, and break the flow. The Lord roars from Zion, he shouts from Jerusalem. The shepherds' pastures wither, the top of Mount Carmel dries up.
3 This is what the Lord says: The people of Damascus have repeatedly sinned‡ Literally, “For three sins of Damascus, and for four.” and so I will not hesitate to punish them, for they beat the people of Gilead with sharp iron threshing tools.§ The reference is to threshing grain, where wooden boards studded with sharp iron spikes were dragged across the grain on the threshing floor to cut up the stalks and separate out the grain. 4 So I will send fire down on the house of Hazael and burn up Ben-Hadad's fortresses.* Hazael and Ben-Hadad were kings of Syria, and Damascus was the capital. 5 I will smash the gates of Damascus, I will cut down those who live in the Valley of Aven, and the ruler from Beth Eden.† Valley of Aven means “the Valley of Wickedness” and Beth Eden means “the House of Pleasure.” The people of Aram will be deported as prisoners to the land of Kir, says the Lord.
6 This is what the Lord says: The people of Gaza have repeatedly sinned and so I will not hesitate to punish them, for they sent into exile whole communities, handing them over to Edom. 7 So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza and burn up its fortresses. 8 I will cut down those who live in Ashdod and the ruler of Ashkelon. I will turn to punish‡ “Turn to punish”: literally, “turn my hand against.” Ekron and the Philistines who remain will die, says the Lord God.
9 This is what the Lord says: The people of Tyre have repeatedly sinned and so I will not hesitate to punish them, for they exiled whole communities, handing them over to Edom, and did not keep their agreement to help each other as members of the same family.§ “Members of the same family”: literally, “brothers.” 10 So I will send down fire on the walls of Tyre and burn up its fortresses.
11 This is what the Lord says: The people of Edom have repeatedly sinned and so I will not hesitate to punish them, for they hunted down the Israelites to whom they were related,* The Edomites were descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob. killing them with swords. They attacked without mercy, tearing the Israelites to pieces in an angry rage that never stopped. 12 So I will send down fire on Teman, and I will burn up the fortresses of Bozrah.
13 This is what the Lord says: The people of Ammon have repeatedly sinned and so I will not hesitate to punish them, because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead as part of their war to enlarge their territory. 14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah and burn up its fortresses. There will be shouts on the day of battle which will whirl with rage like a windstorm. 15 Their king will be sent into exile together with his princes, says the Lord.

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*1:1 The message was given through visions.

†1:2 Because the vast majority of the book is the message from God, it seems better not to use quotation marks to identify such words as they would be generally superfluous, and break the flow.

‡1:3 Literally, “For three sins of Damascus, and for four.”

§1:3 The reference is to threshing grain, where wooden boards studded with sharp iron spikes were dragged across the grain on the threshing floor to cut up the stalks and separate out the grain.

*1:4 Hazael and Ben-Hadad were kings of Syria, and Damascus was the capital.

†1:5 Valley of Aven means “the Valley of Wickedness” and Beth Eden means “the House of Pleasure.”

‡1:8 “Turn to punish”: literally, “turn my hand against.”

§1:9 “Members of the same family”: literally, “brothers.”

*1:11 The Edomites were descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher