Judgment on Neighbor Nations

1The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions 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.

2He said,

“The Lord roars from Zion

And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;

And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn,

And the summit of Carmel dries up.”

3Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Damascus and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they threshed Gilead with implements of sharp iron.

4So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael

And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.

5I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,

And cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven,

And him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;

So the people of Aram will go exiled to Kir,”

Says the Lord.

6Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Gaza and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they deported an entire population

To deliver it up to Edom.

7So I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza

And it will consume her citadels.

8I will also cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,

And him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon;

I will even unleash My power upon Ekron,

And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,”

Says the Lord God.

9Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Tyre and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they delivered up an entire population to Edom

And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.

10So I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre

And it will consume her citadels.”

11Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Edom and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because he pursued his brother with the sword,

While he stifled his compassion;

His anger also tore continually,

And he maintained his fury forever.

12So I will send fire upon Teman

And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

13Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead

In order to enlarge their borders.

14So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah

And it will consume her citadels

Amid war cries on the day of battle,

And a storm on the day of tempest.

15Their king will go into exile,

He and his princes together,” says the Lord.

Judgment on Judah and Israel

1Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Moab and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.

2So I will send fire upon Moab

And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth;

And Moab will die amid tumult,

With war cries and the sound of a trumpet.

3I will also cut off the judge from her midst

And slay all her princes with him,” says the Lord.

4Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Judah and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they rejected the law of the Lord

And have not kept His statutes;

Their lies also have led them astray,

Those after which their fathers walked.

5So I will send fire upon Judah

And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”

6Thus says the Lord,

“For three transgressions of Israel and for four

I will not revoke its punishment,

Because they sell the righteous for money

And the needy for a pair of sandals.

7These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless

Also turn aside the way of the humble;

And a man and his father resort to the same girl

In order to profane My holy name.

8On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,

And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,

Though his height was like the height of cedars

And he was strong as the oaks;

I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.

10It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,

And I led you in the wilderness forty years

That you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.

11Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets

And some of your young men to be Nazirites.

Is this not so, O sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.

12“But you made the Nazirites drink wine,

And you commanded the prophets saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’

13Behold, I am weighted down beneath you

As a wagon is weighted down when filled with sheaves.

14Flight will perish from the swift,

And the stalwart will not strengthen his power,

Nor the mighty man save his life.

15He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,

The swift of foot will not escape,

Nor will he who rides the horse save his life.

16Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked in that day,” declares the Lord.

All the Tribes Are Guilty

1Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:

2“You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth;

Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

3Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?

4Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?

Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?

5Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?

Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?

6If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?

If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

7Surely the Lord God does nothing

Unless He reveals His secret counsel

To His servants the prophets.

8A lion has roared! Who will not fear?

The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?

9Proclaim on the citadels in Ashdod and on the citadels in the land of Egypt and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria and see the great tumults within her and the oppressions in her midst. 10But they do not know how to do what is right,” declares the Lord, “these who hoard up violence and devastation in their citadels.”

11Therefore, thus says the Lord God,

“An enemy, even one surrounding the land,

Will pull down your strength from you

And your citadels will be looted.”

12Thus says the Lord,

“Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear,

So will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away—

With the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!

13Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”

Declares the Lord God, the God of hosts.

14“For on the day that I punish Israel’s transgressions,

I will also punish the altars of Bethel;

The horns of the altar will be cut off

And they will fall to the ground.

15I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house;

The houses of ivory will also perish

And the great houses will come to an end,”

Declares the Lord.

Message to Ephesus

1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

2‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Message to Smyrna

8“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

9‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Message to Pergamum

12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

13‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

PSALM 129

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies.

A Song of Ascents.

1“Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,”

Let Israel now say,

2“Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3The plowers plowed upon my back;

They lengthened their furrows.”

4The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

5May all who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned backward;

6Let them be like grass upon the housetops,

Which withers before it grows up;

7With which the reaper does not fill his hand,

Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

8Nor do those who pass by say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you;

We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

19A slave will not be instructed by words alone;

For though he understands, there will be no response.

20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.