Amos 1

The prophet introduces himself and shows the condition of the land

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, the visions he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 And he said,

“The LORD roars from Zion,

and makes his voice heard

from Jerusalem,

1:2 Jerusalem was the city God made His special dwelling place on earth. His temple was there. See Ps 43:3; 68:16; 132:13-14.⚜

and the pastures of the shepherds

mourn and the top of Carmel withers”.

God pronounces judgment on other peoples

3 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions

of Damascus, and for four,

I will not turn away its

punishment,

because they have threshed Gilead

with iron threshing implements.

4 So I will send a fire into

the house of Hazael,

which will devour the palaces

of Ben-Hadad.

1:4 Hazael was king of Syria about 842-796 BC, and Ben-Hadad was his son who ruled about 796-775 BC.⚜

5 I will also break the gate bar

of Damascus, and cut off

the inhabitant from the valley of Aven,

and the one who holds the sceptre

from Beth Eden;

and the people of Syria will go

into captivity to Kir”,

says the LORD.

1:3-5 Damascus was (and is) the capital of Syria. For other prophecies concerning it see Isa 17:1; Jer 49:23-27.⚜

On the Philistines

6 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Gaza,

and for four,

I will not turn away its punishment,

because they deported

all the captives,

to deliver them up

to Edom.

7 So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza,

which will devour its palaces.

8 And I will cut off the inhabitant

from Ashdod,

and the one who holds the sceptre

from Ashkelon,

and I will turn my hand against Ekron;

1:8 Three more chief cities of the Philistines are named in this verse.⚜

and the rest of the Philistines

will perish”, says the Lord God.

On Tyre

9 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Tyre,

and for four,

I will not turn away its punishment,

because they delivered up

all the captives to Edom,

and did not remember the covenant

of brotherhood.

10 So I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre,

which will devour its palaces”.

On Edom

11 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Edom,

and for four,

I will not turn away its punishment,

because he pursued his brother

with the sword,

and cast off all pity,

and his anger tore continually,

and he kept his wrath permanently.

12 So I will send a fire on Teman,

which will devour the palaces

of Bozrah”.

On Ammon

13 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of the children

of Ammon,

and for four, I will not turn away

its punishment,

because they have ripped up

the pregnant women of Gilead,

so they could enlarge their border.

14 So I will kindle a fire on the wall

of Rabbah,

and it will devour its palaces,

amid shouting in the day of battle,

and a tempest in the day

of the whirlwind;

15 And their king will go

into captivity,

he and his princes together”,

says the LORD.

1:14-15 Rabbah was the capital of Ammon. It was destroyed by the Assyrians. Today it is called Amman and is the capital of the kingdom of Jordan. Compare Jer 49:6.⚜