Amos 9

1 Then I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: Strike the tops of the Temple pillars so that the foundations shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people below. Those who survive I will kill by the sword. None of them will escape, not a single one.

I saw the Lord standing by the altar; and he said: Smite the capital, so that the thresholds shall tremble! Break them in pieces upon the heads of all of them! And their residue will I slay with the sword. He that fleeth of them shall not flee from danger, And he that escapeth of them shall not escape into safety.

2 Even if they dig down into Sheol, I will catch them and pull them up. Even if they climb up to heaven, I will bring them down. (Sheol h7585)

Though they dig down to the under-world, Thence shall my hand take them; Though they climb up to heaven, Thence will I bring them down. (Sheol h7585)

3 Even if they hide themselves at the top of Mount Carmel, I will search for them and catch them. Even if they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command the sea serpent to bite them.

Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, There will I search for them, and take them away; Though they hide themselves from mine eyes in the bottom of the sea, There will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them.

4 Even if they are driven into exile by their enemies, I will order them put to death by the sword. I will watch them carefully—and for evil, not for good.

Though they go into captivity before their enemies, There will I command the sword, and it shall slay them; I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

5 The Lord God of power touches the earth and it melts, and all who live there mourn. The earth rises up like the Nile river in flood, and then falls again.

For the Lord Jehovah of hosts Is he, that toucheth the earth, and it shall melt, And all that dwell therein shall mourn; All of it shall rise in waves like a river, And shall be overflowed, as by the river of Egypt;

6 The Lord builds his upper rooms in heaven, and places the foundations on the earth. He calls for the water of the seas, and pours it down as rain upon the earth—the Lord is his name!

He that buildeth his upper rooms in the heavens, And foundeth his arch upon the earth, —That calleth the waters of the sea, And poureth them out upon the face of the earth, —Jehovah is his name.

7 Aren't the Ethiopians as important to me as you, people of Israel? asks the Lord. Yes, I brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir.

Are ye not as the Ethiopians to me, O children of Israel? saith Jehovah. Did I not bring Israel from the land of Egypt, And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

8 Watch out! I'm watching this sinful kingdom. I will eradicate it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not completely destroy the descendants of Jacob.

Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are upon the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet will I not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith Jehovah.

9 See what I'm doing! I will give the command, and the people of Israel will be shaken among the nations like flour through a sieve, and nothing will fall to the ground.

For, behold, I will command, And I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, As one sifteth corn with a sieve, And not a grain shall fall upon the ground.

10 All the sinners of my people will be killed by the sword—all those who say, “Nothing bad is going to happen; no disaster will fall on us.”

But all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, Who say, Evil shall not approach, nor fall upon us.

11 On that day I will restore the fallen kingdom of David; I will repair the broken walls, I will rebuild the ruins, and I will make it as it was in days of old.

In that day I will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David, And I will close up the breaches thereof, And raise up its ruins, And I will build it, as in the days of old.

12 And they will possess what is left of Edom and all the nations that were once mine, declares the Lord. He will make this happen.

That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the nations, which shall be called by my name. Thus saith Jehovah, who doeth this.

13 Look! The time is coming, says the Lord, when the reaper will overtake the plowman, and the one who treads the grapes will overtake the one who sows the seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, and flow from all the hills.

Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, That the plougher shall draw near to the reaper, And the treader of grapes to the sower of the seed; And the mountains shall drop new wine, And all the hills shall melt.

14 I will bring my people back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and they shall live in them. They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will plant gardens and eat the fruit they produce.

I will bring back the captives of my people Israel, And they shall build the desolate cities, and shall inhabit them; And they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; They shall also make gardens, and eat their fruit.

15 I will plant them in their own land, and they shall never be uprooted again from the land I have given them, declares the Lord your God.

I will plant them in their land, And they shall no more be rooted up from the land which I have given them, Saith Jehovah, thy God.