Amos 1

¹The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

²He said:

“The Lord roars from Zion

and thunders from Jerusalem;

the pastures of the shepherds dry up,

and the top of Carmel withers.”

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

³This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Damascus,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because she threshed Gilead

with sledges having iron teeth,

⁴I will send fire on the house of Hazael

that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.

⁵I will break down the gate of Damascus;

I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven

and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.

The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,”

says the Lord.

⁶This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Gaza,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because she took captive whole communities

and sold them to Edom,

⁷I will send fire on the walls of Gaza

that will consume her fortresses.

⁸I will destroy the king of Ashdod

and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.

I will turn my hand against Ekron,

till the last of the Philistines are dead,”

says the Sovereign Lord.

⁹This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Tyre,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,

disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,

¹⁰I will send fire on the walls of Tyre

that will consume her fortresses.”

¹¹This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Edom,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because he pursued his brother with a sword

and slaughtered the women of the land,

because his anger raged continually

and his fury flamed unchecked,

¹²I will send fire on Teman

that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”

¹³This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Ammon,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead

in order to extend his borders,

¹⁴I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah

that will consume her fortresses

amid war cries on the day of battle,

amid violent winds on a stormy day.

¹⁵Her king will go into exile,

he and his officials together,”

says the Lord.