Have all the warriors come near and attack.

10 Hammer your plowblades into swords and your pruning shears into spears.

Weaklings should say that they are warriors.

11 Hurry from every direction, and gather there, all you nations.

O Yahweh, bring your soldiers.

12 Wake up, you nations.

Come to the valley of Jehoshaphat.

There I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

13 Cut them down like grain.

The harvest is ripe.

Stomp on them as you would stomp on grapes.

The winepress is full.

The vats overflow.

The nations are very wicked.

14 There are many, many people in the valley of decision.

The day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision.

15 The sun and the moon will turn dark.

The stars will no longer shine.

16 Yahweh will roar from Zion, and his voice will thunder from Jerusalem.

The sky and the earth will shake.

Yahweh will be a Machseh for his people.

He will be a stronghold for the people of Israel.

17 "You will know that I am Yahweh your Elohim .

I live on my holy mountain, Zion.

Jerusalem will be holy.

Foreigners will never invade it again.

18 On that day new wine will cover the mountains.

Milk will flow on the hills.

Water will flow in all the brooks of Judah.

A spring will flow from Yahweh's temple.

It will water the valley of Shittim.

19 Egypt will become a wasteland.

Edom will become a barren desert.

This is because the nations were cruel to Judah.

They murdered innocent people in their land.

20 People will always live in Judah.

People will live in Jerusalem from now on.

21 I will punish those who murder."a Yahweh lives in Zion!

a 1:17 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

b 2:2 Or "like darkness."

a 2:23 Or "Yahweh has given you plenty of autumn rain."

b 2:24 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.

a 2:27 Joel 2:28-32 in English Bibles is Joel 3:1-5 in the Hebrew Bible.

b 3:1 Joel 3:1-21 in English Bibles is Joel 4:1-21 in the Hebrew Bible.

c 3:2 Or "the valley where Yahweh judges."

a 3:21 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

Introduction to AMOS.

Amos never meant to be a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. He was a farmer, not a priest, and not even a native. Although he lived near Israel's pagan worship center at Bethel, he came from the southern kingdom of Judah. But when the Lord roared, Amos listened-and then he spoke some of the sternest prophetic words in the Bible.

The rich people of Israel must have been startled. Israel was prospering during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-29). Business was good. Houses were getting larger, and many people had second homes. They had enough leisure now to enjoy fine foods and wines. Didn't this mean God was blessing them?

Just the opposite, warned Amos, who got the people's attention by predicting God's judgment on neighboring countries. Once Amos had an audience, he switched to Israel's crimes. Like Hosea, who began prophesying at about the same time, Amos condemned Israel for worshiping false gods. But Amos's main emphasis was on the way the people of Israel treated one another.

The rich people of Israel oppressed the poor, said Amos. They abused them, trampled on their rights, taxed them heavily, and even sold them as slaves to repay small debts. And as the poor grew poorer, the rich grew richer through corrupt business and legal practices. "I am going to punish you for all your sins," said the Lord (Amos 3:2). The day of the Lord was coming, and it would not be what Israel expected-the downfall of their enemies and the beginning of an era of unrivaled prosperity. Instead, it would be a catastrophe for "those who are at ease" and "those who feel secure" (6:1). An enemy would invade. The land of Israel would be destroyed. The people would be carried off, and they would lose contact with God.

Some people read threats like these and think the Old Testament God is fierce and cruel. Read Amos closely and see why God is angry: God loves the poor and the weak, and he doesn't want bullies to hurt them. He will judge severely, but he will not demolish his people. He longs for them to turn back to him and treat one another fairly and compassionately. "Let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream," God pleads (5:24). If the people will do this, God will repair, restore, and rebuild everything that they are about to lose.

Key Names of God in Amos Yahweh LORD Adonay Lord, Master Yahweh Tsebaoth the LORD Almighty, the LORD of Armies, the LORD of Hosts Elohim, Elohe God AMOS.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.

1 1 These are the words of Amos, one of the sheep farmers from Tekoa. He saw a vision about Israel during the reigns of Judah's King Uzziah and Israel's King Jeroboam, son of Joash. This happened two years before the earthquake.

2 He said: Yahweh roars from Zion, and his voice thunders from Jerusalem.

The pastures of the shepherds are turning brown, and the top of Mount Carmel is dried up.

Damascus Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 3 This is what Yahweh says: Because Damascus has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Arameans have crushed the people of Gilead with iron-spiked threshinga sledges.

4 I will send a fire on the house of Hazael and burn down the palaces of Ben Hadad.

5 I will break the bars on the gates of Damascus.

I will cut off those living in Aven Valley and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.

The people of Aram will go into captivity at Kir.

Yahweh has said this.

Gaza Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 6 This is what Yahweh says: Because Gaza has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Philistines have taken all the people captive in order to hand them over to the Edomites.

7 I will send a fire on the walls of Gaza and burn down its palaces.

8 I will cut off those living in Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.

I will turn my power against Ekron.

The rest of the Philistines will die.

Adonay Yahweh has said this.

Tyre Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 9 This is what Yahweh says: Because Tyre has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Tyrians have handed all the people over to the Edomites.

The Tyrians didn't remember their treaty with their relatives.

10 I will send a fire on the walls of Tyre and burn down its palaces.

Edom Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 11 This is what Yahweh says: Because Edom has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Edomites pursued their relatives with swords.

They refused to show any compassion to them.

Their anger was unstoppable.

They refused to control their fury.

12 I will send a fire on Teman and burn down the palaces of Bozrah.

Ammon Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 13 This is what Yahweh says: Because Ammon has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Ammonites enlarged their territory by ripping open pregnant women in Gilead.

14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah and burn down its palaces while troops are shouting on the day of battle and winds are howling on the day of the storm.

15 Their king will go into captivity along with his officials.

Yahweh has said this.

Moab Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 2 1 This is what Yahweh says: Because Moab has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The Moabites have cremated Edom's king.

2 I will send a fire on Moab and burn down the palaces of Kerioth.

Moab will die during the noise of battle while troops are shouting and rams' horns are blowing.

3 I will take their judges away from them.

I will kill all their officials at the same time.

Yahweh has said this.

Judah Will Be Judged for Its Crimes 4 This is what Yahweh says: Because Judah has committed three crimes, and now a fourth crime, I will not change my plans.

The people of Judah have rejected Yahweh's Teachings and haven't kept his laws.