< Amos 9 >
1 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar; and he said, Smite the capital, that the sills may quake; and break them in pieces over the head of all of them; and their posterity will I slay with the sword: there shall not flee away from them one that fleeth, and there shall not escape from them one that is saved.
I saw the LORD standing beside the altar, and he said, "Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.
2 Though they were to creep down into the nether world, thence would my hand fetch them; and though they were to climb up to the heavens, thence would I bring them down; (Sheol )
Though they dig into Sheol, there my hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, there I will bring them down. (Sheol )
3 And though they were to hide themselves on the top of Carmel, thence would I search and take them out; and though they were to conceal themselves from before my eyes in the bottom of the sea, thence would I command the serpent, that he should bite them;
Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out there; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
4 And though they were to go into captivity before their enemies, thence would I command the sword, that it should slay them: and I will set my eye upon them for evil, and not for good.
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for disaster, and not for good.
5 And the Lord Eternal of hosts it is that toucheth the earth, and she melteth away, and all that dwell thereon shall mourn; and she riseth up like a stream wholly; and she sinketh like the stream of Egypt;
For the LORD of hosts is he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell in it will mourn; and it will rise up wholly like the River, and will sink again, like the River of Egypt.
6 That buildeth in the heavens his steps, and hath founded his vault over the earth; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out over the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.
It is he who builds his upper chamber in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth; the LORD is his name.
7 Are ye not like the children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord: have I not brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
Are you not like the people of Ethiopia to me, children of Israel?" says the LORD. "Haven't I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord Eternal are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; save only that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.
Look, the eyes of the LORD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," says the LORD.
9 For, lo, I will give the command, and I will shake about among all the nations the house of Israel, as one shaketh things in a sieve, while not the least piece falleth down upon the earth.
"For, look, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as one sifts with a sieve, but not even a pebble will fall to the ground.
10 By the sword shall die all the sinners of my people, who say, The evil will not come near [us], nor hasten along for our sake.
All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, 'Evil won't overtake nor meet us.'
11 On that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen; and I will close up its breaches; and its ruins will I raise up, and I will rebuild it as in days of old:
On that day I will rebuild the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and repair its broken places, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it as in the days of old;
12 In order that they may take possession of the remnant of Edom, and of all the nations, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doth this.
that the rest of humanity may seek after the LORD, and all the nations who are called by my name," says the LORD who does this.
13 Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when the ploughman shall come close up to the harvester, and the treader of the grapes to the one that scattereth the seed: and the mountains shall drop with sweet new wine, and all the hills shall melt away.
"Look, the days come," says the LORD, "that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and sweet wine will drip from the mountains, and flow from the hills.
14 And I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the wasted cities, and dwell therein; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; and they shall lay out gardens, and eat their fruit.
I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
15 And I will plant them upon their own soil, and they shall not be pulled up any more out of their land which I have given unto them, saith the Lord thy God.
I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them," says the LORD your God.