1 The message of Amos. Amos was one of the shepherds from the city Tekoa. Amos saw visions* about Israel during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and during the time that Jeroboam son of Joash was king of Israel. This was two years before the earthquake.

Punishment for Aram

²Amos said: The Lord will shout like a lion in Zion.* His loud voice will roar from Jerusalem. And the green pastures of the shepherds will turn brown and die. Even Mount Carmel* will become dry. ³The Lord says these things: “I will definitely punish {the people of} Damascus for the many crimes they did. Why? Because they crushed {the people of} Gilead* with iron threshing tools.* ⁴So I will start a fire at Hazael’s* house (Aram). And that fire will destroy the great palaces of Ben Hadad.* ⁵“I will also break open the gates of Damascus.* I will remove the person sitting {on the throne} in the Valley of Aven.* I will remove the symbol of power from Beth- Eden* And the Aramean people will be {defeated and} taken {back} to Kir.* The Lord said those things.”

Punishment for the Philistines

⁶The Lord says this: “I will definitely punish {the people of} Gaza* for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because they took an entire nation of people and sent them as slaves to Edom.* ⁷So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza. This fire will destroy the high towers in Gaza. ⁸And I will destroy the one that sits {on the throne} in Ashdod.* I will destroy the king that holds the scepter in Ashkelon.* I will punish the people of Ekron.* Then the Philistines that are still left alive, will die.” The Lord God said those things.

Punishment for Phoenicia

⁹The Lord says these things: “I will definitely punish {the people of} Tyre* for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because they took an entire nation and sent them as slaves to Edom.* They did not remember the agreement they had made with their brothers (Israel). ¹⁰So I will start a fire at the walls of Tyre. That fire will destroy the high towers in Tyre.”

Punishment for the Edomites

¹¹The Lord says these things: “I will definitely punish {the people of} Edom* for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because Edom chased his brother (Israel) with the sword. Edom showed no mercy. Edom’s anger continued forever—he kept tearing and tearing {at Israel like a wild animal}. ¹²So I will start a fire at Teman.* That fire will destroy the high towers of Bozrah.”*

Punishment for the Ammonites

¹³The Lord says these things: “I will definitely punish {the people of} Ammon* for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because they killed the pregnant women in Gilead.* The Ammonite people did this so they could {take that land} and make their country larger. ¹⁴So I will start a fire at the wall of Rabbah.* That fire will destroy the high towers of Rabbah. Troubles will come to them like a whirlwind* into their country. ¹⁵Then their kings and leaders will be captured. They will all be taken together.” The Lord said those things.

visions Something like a dream that God used to speak to people. Zion The southeast part of the mountain Jerusalem is built on. Sometimes it means the people of God living in Jerusalem. Mount Carmel A mountain in north Israel. This name means, “God’s vineyard.” This shows it was a very fertile hill. Gilead An area where some of the people from the family group of Manasseh lived. See Num. 26:29. threshing tools Boards with pieces of sharp stone or iron that were dragged over grain to remove the hulls. Hazael Hazael was the king of Aram (Syria). He murdered Ben Hadad I so he could become king. See 2 Kings 8:7. Ben Hadad Ben Hadad II, the son of Hazael, king of Aram (Syria). See 2 Kings 13:3. Damascus The capital of Aram (Syria). the Valley of Aven A name that can mean, “Leisure Valley” or “Empty Valley of Misfortune.. Beth-Eden The royal city of Aram (Syria) on Mount Lebanon. This name means, “House of Pleasure” or “Paradise.” Kir Or, “Kur,” an area controlled by the Assyrians. See Amos 9:7. Gaza An important city of the Philistines. for the many crimes they did Literally, “For three crimes … and for four ...” This shows that these people had done plenty of sins—and it was time to punish those people. Edom A nation southeast of Israel. Ashdod Another important city of the Philistines. Ashkelon Another important city of the Philistines. Ekron Another important city of the Philistines. Tyre The capital of Phoenicia. Teman A city at the north part of the country of Edom. Bozrah A city at the south part of the country of Edom. Ammon The Ammonites were the descendants of Ben-Ammi, son of Lot. Read Genesis 19:38. Gilead An area where some of the people from the family group of Manasseh lived. See Num. 26:29. Rabbah The capital of the Ammonites. whirlwind A strong wind that blows in a circle.

Punishment for Moab

2 The Lord says these things: “I will definitely punish the people of Moab* for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because Moab burned the bones of the king of Edom* into lime. ²So I will start a fire in Moab. And that fire will destroy the high towers of Kerioth.* There will be terrible shouting and the sounds of a trumpet, and Moab will die. ³So, I will bring an end to the kings* of Moab. And I will kill all the leaders of Moab.” The Lord said those things.

Punishment for Judah

⁴The Lord says this: “I will definitely punish Judah for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because they refused to obey the Lord’s commands. They didn’t keep his commands. Their ancestors* believed {lies}. And those same lies caused the people of Judah to quit following God. ⁵So I will start a fire in Judah. And that fire will destroy the high towers of Jerusalem.”

Punishment for Israel

⁶The Lord says this: “I will definitely punish Israel for the many crimes they did.* Why? Because they sold good, {innocent} people for a little silver. They sold poor people for the price of a pair of shoes. ⁷They pushed those poor peoples’ faces into the ground and walked on them. They stopped listening to suffering people. Fathers and sons have sexual relations with the same woman. They have ruined my holy name. ⁸They take clothes from poor people, and then they sit on those clothes while they worship at their altars.* They loaned money to poor people, and then took their clothes as collateral.* They make people pay fines, and then they use that money to buy wine for themselves to drink in the temple of their God. ⁹“But it was I who destroyed the Amorites* before them. The Amorites were tall like cedar trees. They were as strong as oak trees. But I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.*

¹⁰“I was the One who brought you from the land of Egypt. For 40 years I led you through the desert. I helped you take the Amorites’ land. ¹¹I made some of your sons to be prophets. I made some of your young men to be Nazirites.* People of Israel, it is true.” The Lord said these things. ¹²“But you made the Nazirites drink wine. You told the prophets not to prophesy. ¹³You are like a heavy weight to me. I am bent low like a wagon loaded with too much straw. ¹⁴No person will escape—not even the fastest runner. Strong men will not be strong enough. Soldiers will not be able to save themselves. ¹⁵People with bows {and arrows} will not survive. Fast runners will not escape. People on horses will not escape alive. At that time, even very brave soldiers will run away. They will not take the time to put their clothes on.” The Lord said these things!

Moab A country east of Israel. The Moabite people were descendants of Lot’s son, Moab. See Genesis 19:37. for the many crimes they did Literally, “For three crimes … and for four ...” This shows that these people had done plenty of sins—and it was time to punish those people. Edom A nation southeast of Israel. Kerioth A city in Moab. This might be Ar, the capital of Moab. kings Literally, “judge.” ancestors Literally, “fathers,” meaning a person’s parents, grandparents, and all the people they are descended from. altar(s) A stone table used for offering sacrifices to God. collateral Things that a person uses to borrow money. If that person does not pay his debt, then the person he borrowed from can keep those things. It was against Moses’ law to take a person’s clothes as collateral. See Deut. 24:12-13. Amorites One of the nations who lived in Canaan before the Israelites came. They were the people that scared the Israelites while Moses was leading them in the desert. See Num. 13:33. fruit above and their roots below This means the parents and their children. Nazirite(s) A person that has made a special promise to God. This name is from the Hebrew word meaning “to separate from.”

Warning to Israel

3 People of Israel, listen to this message! The Lord said these things about you, Israel. This message is about all the families (Israel) that I brought from the land of Egypt. ²“There are many families on earth. But you are the only family I chose to know in a special way. {And you turned against me.} So I will punish you for all your sins.”

The Cause of Israel’s Punishment

³Two people will not walk together unless they agree! ⁴A lion in the forest will roar only after catching an animal. If a young lion is roaring in his cave, then it means he caught something. ⁵A bird will not fly into a trap on the ground if there is no food in the trap. And if the trap closes, then it will catch the bird. ⁶If a trumpet blows a warning, then the people will surely shake with fear. If trouble comes to a city, then the Lord caused it. ⁷The Lord my Master might decide to do something. But before he does anything, he will tell his plans to his servants, the prophets. ⁸If a lion roars, people will be scared. If the Lord speaks, prophets will prophesy.* ^9–10Go to the high towers in Ashdod* and Egypt and announce this message: “Come to the mountains of Samaria. There you will see great confusion. Why? Because the people don’t know how to live right. Those people were cruel to other people. They took things from other people and hid those things in their high towers. Their treasuries are filled with things they took in war.” ¹¹So the Lord says, “An enemy will come to that land. That enemy will take away your strength. He will take the things you hid in your high towers.” ¹²The Lord says, “A lion might attack a lamb, and a shepherd might try to save the lamb. But the shepherd will save only a part of that lamb. He might pull two legs or a part of an ear from the lion’s mouth. In the same way, most of the people of Israel will not be saved. The people living in Samaria will save only a corner from a bed, or a piece of cloth from a couch.” ¹³My Master, the Lord God All-Powerful, says these things: “Warn Jacob’s family (Israel) about these things. ¹⁴Israel sinned, and I will punish them for their sins. I will also destroy the altars* at Bethel.* The horns of the altar* will be cut off and fall to the ground. ¹⁵I will destroy the winter house with the summer house. The houses of ivory will be destroyed. Many houses will be destroyed.” The Lord said those things.

prophesy To speak for God. Ashdod Another important city of the Philistines. altar(s) A stone table used for offering sacrifices to God. Bethel A town in Israel. This name means “God’s house.” horns of the altar The corners of the altars were made in the shape of horns. These were important parts of the altar.

The Women That Love Pleasure

4 Listen to me, you cows of Bashan* on Samaria’s mountain. You hurt poor people. You crush those poor people. You tell your husbands,* “Bring us something to drink!” ²The Lord my Master made a promise. He promised by his holiness, that troubles will come to you. People will use hooks and take you away as prisoners. They will use fishhooks to take away your children. ³{Your city will be destroyed.} The women will rush out through cracks in the wall and throw themselves onto the pile {of dead bodies}.* The Lord says this. ⁴“Go to Bethel and sin! Go to Gilgal* and sin even more. Offer your sacrifices in the morning. Bring a tenth of your crops for the three-day holiday. ⁵And offer a thank offering made with yeast. Tell everyone about the freewill offerings.* Israel, you love to do those things. So go and do them.” The Lord said {this}. ⁶“{I did many things to try to make you come to me.} I didn’t give you any food to eat.* There was no food in any of your cities. But you didn’t come back to me.” The Lord said those things. ⁷“I also stopped the rain—and it was three months before harvest time. So no crops grew. Then I let it rain on one city, but not on another city. Rain fell on one part of the country. But on the other part of the country, the land became very dry. ⁸So the people from two or three cities staggered to another city to get water—but there was not enough water for every person. Still you didn’t come to me for help.” The Lord said those things. ⁹“I made your crops die from heat and disease. I destroyed your gardens and your fields of grapes. Locusts* ate your fig trees and olive trees. But you still didn’t come to me {for help}.” The Lord said those things. ¹⁰“I sent diseases against you, like I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with swords. I took away your horses. I made your camp smell very bad {from all the dead bodies}. But still you didn’t come back to me {for help}.” The Lord said those things. ¹¹“I destroyed you like I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.* And those cities were completely destroyed. You were like a burnt stick pulled from a fire. But still you didn’t come back to me {for help}.” The Lord said those things. ¹²“So I will do these things to you, Israel. I will do this to you. Israel, prepare to meet your God! ¹³{Who am I?} I am the One who made the mountains. I created your minds.* I taught people how to speak and I changed the darkness into dawn. I walk over the mountains of the earth. {Who am I?} My name is YAHWEH, God of the armies.”*

cows of Bashan This means the wealthy women in Samaria. Bashan was a place east of the Jordan River. It was famous for its big bulls and cows. your husbands Literally, “their masters.” throw … dead bodies Or, “You will be thrown away. People will take you to Mount Hermon.” The Hebrew is hard to understand. It is not clear if the women will be “thrown away” or if the women will be “throwing something away.” Bethel … Gilgal Places of worship for the people of Israel. God wanted the people of Israel and the people of Judah to worship him only in the temple at Jerusalem. Offer your sacrifices … freewill offerings All of these things were against the Law of Moses. The leaders and false priests started these new holidays and different ways of worshiping God. I didn’t give you any food to eat Literally, “I gave you clean teeth.” Locusts Insects like grasshoppers that could destroy a large crop very quickly. Sodom and Gomorrah Two cities that God destroyed because the people were very evil. your minds Or, “the wind.” YAHWEH, God of the armies This is usually translated, “Lord God All-Powerful.”

A Sad Song for Israel

5 People of Israel, listen to this song. This funeral song is about you. ²The virgin* of Israel has fallen. She will not get up any more. She was left alone, lying in the dirt. There is no person to lift her up. ³The Lord my Master says these things: “Officers leaving the city with 1,000 men, will return with only 100 men. Officers leaving the city with 100 men, will return with only ten men.

The Lord Encourages Israel to Come Back

⁴The Lord says this to the nation* of Israel: “Come looking for me and live. ⁵But don’t look in Bethel.* Don’t go to Gilgal.* Don’t cross the border and go down to Beersheba.* The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners.* And Bethel will be destroyed.* ⁶Go to the Lord, and live. If you don’t go to the Lord, then a fire will start at Joseph’s house.* That fire will destroy Joseph’s house, and no person will be able to stop that fire at Bethel. ^7–9{You should go to the Lord for help.} God made the Pleiades and Orion.* He changes darkness into the morning light. He changes the day into the dark night. He calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the earth. His name is YAHWEH!* He keeps one strong city safe, and he lets another strong city be destroyed.”

The Evil Things That the Israelites Did

You change goodness to poison.* You killed justice, and let it fall to the ground. ¹⁰{Prophets} go to the public places and speak against {the bad things that people are doing}. And the people hate {those prophets}. {The prophets} teach good, simple truths. And the people hate those {prophets}. ¹¹You take unfair taxes* from poor people. You take loads of wheat from them. You build fancy houses with cut stone. But you will not live in those houses. You plant beautiful fields of grapes. But you will not drink the wine from them. ¹²Why? Because I know about your many sins. You have done some really bad things: You hurt people that do right. You accept money to do wrong. You keep justice from the poor people in court. ¹³At that time, wise teachers will be quiet. Why? Because it is a bad time. ¹⁴You say {that God is with you}. So you should do good things, not evil. Then you will live. And the Lord God All-Powerful really will be with you. ¹⁵Hate evil and love goodness. Bring fairness back into the courts. Maybe then the Lord God All-Powerful will be kind to the survivors* from Joseph’s family.

A Time of Great Sadness Is Coming

¹⁶My Master, God All-Powerful, says, “People will be crying in the public places. People will be crying in the streets. People will hire the professional criers.* ¹⁷People will be crying in the fields of grapes. Why? Because I will pass through {and punish} you.” The Lord said those things. ¹⁸Some of you want {to see} the Lord’s special day {of judgment}. Why do you want {to see} that day? The Lord’s special day will bring darkness not light! ¹⁹You will be like a man that escapes a lion only to be attacked by a bear! You will be like a man that goes into the safety of his house, leans against the wall, and is bitten by a snake! ²⁰The Lord’s special day will be {a day of sadness, not joy} a day of darkness, not light, a day of gloom, without a glimmer of light.

The Lord Rejects Israel’s Worship

²¹“I hate your holidays! I will not accept them! I don’t enjoy your religious meetings! ²²Even if you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them! I will not even look at the fat animals you give as fellowship offerings. ²³Take your noisy songs away from here. I will not listen to the music from your harps. ²⁴You should let fairness flow like water {through your country}. Let goodness flow like a stream that never becomes dry. ²⁵Israel, you offered me sacrifices and offerings in the desert for 40 years.* ²⁶But you also carried statues of Sakkuth, your king, and Kaiwan.* And you made yourselves that star for your god!* ²⁷So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus.” The Lord says those things. His name is God All-Powerful.

virgin The Hebrew word can mean “a woman that has not had sexual relations with anyone,” “bride,” or “fiancée.” Here it means the city Samaria. nation Literally, “house.” This might mean the royal family of that country. Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba These were ancient places of worship. Abraham and Jacob built altars in these places. But God had told the people of Israel that they should go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship him. taken away as prisoners In Hebrew this sounds like the name “Gilgal.” destroyed The Hebrew word is like the name “Beth Aven.” This name means “House of Wickedness.” The prophets often used this name for Bethel. Joseph’s house Here this means the ten-family-group nation of Israel. Joseph was the ancestor of the family groups of Ephraim and Manasseh in Israel. Pleiades and Orion Two well-known groups of stars (constellations). YAHWEH This name is usually translated, “Lord.” poison Literally, “wormwood,” a type of plant with bitter leaves. It could be used as a medicine, or if strong enough, as a poison. take unfair taxes We are not sure of the exact meaning of this Hebrew word. survivors People that escaped some disaster. Here this means the Jewish people that survived the destruction of Judah and Israel by its enemy armies. professional criers People that went to funerals and cried loudly for the dead people. Families and friends of the dead person often gave food or money to these people. Israel … 40 years Or, “Israel, did you offer me sacrifices and offerings in the desert for 40 years? No!” Sakkuth … Kaiwan These were names of Assyrian gods. star for your god This might be to honor a special god or all the stars in the sky. Many people thought the sun, moon, stars, and planets were gods or angels. This verse might also be translated, “You carried the shelter for your king and the footstool for your idols—the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.” The ancient Greek translation gives the names Moloch and Raphan.