Amos 1

1The words of Amos, one of the sheep breeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel during the reign of Uzziah king of Judah and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2He said: The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the shepherds’ pastures dry up, and the summit of Carmel withers.

3The LORD says this: For three crimes of Damascus, even for four, I will not hold back the punishment, because they threshed Gilead with iron threshing sledges. 4So I will send fire on the house of Hazael, and it will devour the fortresses of Ben-hadad. 5I will break the bar of the gate of Damascus and cut off the ruler from the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir, says the LORD.

6The LORD says this: For three crimes of Gaza, even for four, I will not hold back the punishment, because they carried off whole communities into exile and handed them over to Edom. 7So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its fortresses. 8I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the last of the Philistines will perish, says the Lord GOD.

9The LORD says this: For three crimes of Tyre, even for four, I will not hold back the punishment, because they handed over whole communities of captives to Edom and did not remember the treaty of brotherhood. 10So I will send fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its fortresses.

11The LORD says this: For three crimes of Edom, even for four, I will not hold back the punishment, because he hunted down his brother with the sword and stifled all compassion; his anger kept tearing without end, and he held on to his fury forever. 12So I will send fire on Teman, and it will devour the fortresses of Bozrah.

13The LORD says this: For three crimes of the Ammonites, even for four, I will not hold back the punishment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead to enlarge their own territory. 14So I will set fire to the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid a storm on the day of the whirlwind. 15Their king will go into exile, he and his officials together, says the LORD.