Amos 1 Oracles Against the Nations

[Instrumental] [Intro] The words of Amos, who was one of the sheepbreeders from Tekoa, which he received in a 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. He said: [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Damascus, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron, I will send fire upon the house of Hazael, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the barred gate of Damascus; From the Valley of Aven I will cut off the one enthroned, And the sceptered ruler from Beth-eden; the people of Aram shall be exiled to Kir, says the LORD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Gaza, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they exiled an entire population, handing them over to Edom, I will send fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its strongholds; From Ashdod I will cut off the one enthroned and the sceptered ruler from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the last of the Philistines shall perish, says the Lord GOD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Tyre, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they handed over an entire population to Edom, and did not remember their covenant of brotherhood, I will send fire upon the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its strongholds. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Edom, and now four— I will not take it back— Because he pursued his brother with the sword, suppressing all pity, Persisting in his anger, his wrath raging without end, I will send fire upon Teman, and it will devour the strongholds of Bozrah. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of the Ammonites, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, in order to extend their territory, I will kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its strongholds Amid war cries on the day of battle, amid stormwind on the day of tempest. Their king shall go into exile, he and his princes with him, says the LORD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Moab, and now four— I will not take it back— Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king, I will send fire upon Moab, and it will devour the strongholds of Kerioth; Moab shall meet death amid uproar, battle cries and blasts of the ram’s horn. I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and all the princes I will slay with him, says the LORD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Moab, and now four— I will not take it back— Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king, I will send fire upon Moab, and it will devour the strongholds of Kerioth; Moab shall meet death amid uproar, battle cries and blasts of the ram’s horn. I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and all the princes I will slay with him, says the LORD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Judah, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they spurned the instruction of the LORD, and did not keep his statutes; Because the lies which their ancestors followed have led them astray, I will send fire upon Judah, and it will devour the strongholds of Jerusalem. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [Verse] Thus says the LORD: For three crimes of Israel, and now four— I will not take it back— Because they hand over the just for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; They trample the heads of the destitute into the dust of the earth, and force the lowly out of the way. Son and father sleep with the same girl, profaning my holy name. Upon garments taken in pledge they recline beside any altar. Wine at treasury expense they drink in their temples. Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them, who were as tall as cedars, and as strong as oak trees. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots beneath. It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and who led you through the desert for forty years, to occupy the land of the Amorites; I who raised up prophets among your children, and nazirites among your young men. Is this not so, Israelites?— oracle of the LORD. But you made the nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, “Do not prophesy!” Look, I am groaning beneath you, as a wagon groans when laden with sheaves. Flight shall elude the swift, and the strong shall not retain strength; The warrior shall not save his life, nor shall the archer stand his ground; The swift of foot shall not escape, nor shall the horseman save his life. And the most stouthearted of warriors shall flee naked on that day— oracle of the LORD. [Chorus] The LORD roars from Zion, and raises his voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds languish, and the summit of Carmel withers. [Instrumental] [End]