Amos 1
1 This is the message that [Yahweh] gave to [me], Amos. I am a (shepherd/man who takes care of sheep). I am from [near] Tekoa [town south of Jerusalem]. I received this message about Israel in a vision two years before the [big] earthquake. It was when Uzziah was the king of Judah, and Jeroboam, the son of [King] Jehoash, was the king of Israel.
The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, —of which (words) he had vision concerning Israel, in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
2 This is what Yahweh said: “I will roar [like a lion] [MET]; when I speak from Zion [Hill in] Jerusalem [DOU], my voice will [resemble the sound of] thunder. [When that happens], the pastures where you shepherds [take care of] your sheep will dry up, and [the grass] on top of Carmel [Mountain] will (wither/become brown) [because I will cause that no rain will fall].”
So then he said—Yahweh, out of Zion, will roar, and, out of Jerusalem, will utter his voice, —and the pastures of the shepherds, shall mourn, and the top of Carmel, be dried up.
3 This is [also] what Yahweh said [to me]: “[I will punish the people of] Damascus, [the capital of Syria, ] because of the many sins that they have committed; I will not [change my mind about punishing them] [MTY], because [the cruel things that they did to the people of the] Gilead [region] [were like] [MET] people threshing grain using sledges [that have (iron teeth/sharp iron nails) in them].
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Damascus, and because of four, will I not turn it back, —Because, with threshing instruments of iron, they have threshed Gilead.
4 I will cause a fire to burn the palace [that King] Hazael [built and lived in], the fortress where [his son King] Ben-Hadad [also] lived.
Therefore will send a fire, into the house of Hazael, —which shall devour the palaces of Ben- hadad;
5 I will cause the gates of Damascus to be broken [down]; I will get rid of the king who rules in Aven Valley and the one who rules in Beth Eden. And the people of Syria will be captured and taken to the Kir [region where they originally lived].”
And I will break the bolt of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant out of the plain of Aven, and the holder of the sceptre out of the house of Eden, —and the people of Syria, shall be exiled, unto Kir, saith Yahweh.
6 Yahweh [also] said this [to me]: “[I will punish the people of the cities in Philistia]: [I will punish the people of] Gaza [city] because of the many sins that they have committed; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they captured large groups of people and took them to Edom and sold them to become the slaves of [the people of] Edom.
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Gaza, and because of four, will I not turn it back, —Because of their taking into exile the whole body of exiles, to deliver to Edom,
7 I will cause a fire to completely burn the walls of Gaza and [also] destroy its fortresses.
Therefore will I send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, —which shall devour the palaces thereof;
8 I will get rid of the king of Ashdod [city] and the king who rules [MTY] in Ashkelon [city]. I will [also] strike/punish [the people of] Ekron [city], and [all] the people of Philistia who are still alive will be killed.”
And I will cut off the inhabitant out of Ashdod, and the holder of the sceptre out of Ashkelon, —and will turn my hand against Ekron, So shall perish the remnant of the Philistines, saith My Lord, Yahweh.
9 Yahweh [also] said this [to me]: “[I will punish the people of] Tyre [city] because of the many sins that they have committed; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they [also] captured large groups of our people and took them to Edom, disregarding the treaty of friendship that they had made [with your rulers].
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Tyre, and because of four, will I not turn it back, —Because of their delivering up the whole body of exiles to Edom, and they remembered not the brotherly covenant,
10 So I will cause a fire to completely burn the walls of Tyre and [also] destroy its fortresses.”
Therefore will I send a fire upon the wall of Tyre, —which shall devour the palaces thereof.
11 Yahweh [also] said this [to me]: “I will punish [the people of] Edom because of the many sins that they have committed; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they pursued the people [of Israel], who descended from Esau’s [brother Jacob, and killed them] with swords; they did not act mercifully toward them at all. They were extremely angry [with the people of Israel], and they continued to be angry [with them].
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Edom, and because of four, will I not turn it back, —Because he pursued, with the sword, his brother, and stifled his compassions, and his anger tare in pieces evermore, and, his indignation, kept watch perpetually,
12 I will cause a fire to burn Teman [district in Edom] and completely burn the fortresses of Bozrah, [the biggest city in Edom].”
Therefore will I send a fire into Teman, —which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
13 Yahweh [also] said this [to me]: “I will punish [the people of] Ammon because of the many sins that [they] have committed; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because [their soldiers even] ripped open [the bellies of] pregnant women [when their army attacked] the Gilead [region] to gain more territory.
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of the sons of Ammon, and because of four, will I not turn it back, —Because of their ripping up the pregnant women of Gilead, that they might enlarge their own boundary,
14 I will cause a fire to [completely] burn the walls around Rabbah [city] and completely burn its fortresses. During that battle, [their enemies] will shout loudly and the fighting will be [like] [MET] a fierce/raging wind/storm.
Therefore will I kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah, which shall devour the palaces thereof, —with a war-cry in the day of battle, with tempest in the day of storm-wind;
15 [After the battle], the king [of Ammon] and his officials will be (exiled/forced to go to another country).”
And Milcom shall go into exile, —he and his rulers together, saith Yahweh.
