¹I saw the sovereign One standing by the altar and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars, so the thresholds shake![#tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).; #sn The altar is perhaps the altar at Bethel.; #tn Or “the capitals.” The Hebrew singular form is collective.]

Knock them down on the heads of all the people,

and I will kill the survivors with the sword.

No one will be able to run away;

no one will be able to escape.

²Even if they could dig down into the netherworld,[#tn Heb “into Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV), that is, the land of the dead localized in Hebrew thought in the earth’s core or the grave. Cf. KJV “hell”; NCV, NLT “the place of the dead”; NIV “the depths of the grave.”]

my hand would pull them up from there.

Even if they could climb up to heaven,

I would drag them down from there.

³Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,

I would hunt them down and take them from there.

Even if they tried to hide from me at the bottom of the sea,

from there I would command the Sea Serpent to bite them.

⁴Even when their enemies drive them into captivity,[#tn Heb “Even if they go into captivity before their enemies.”]

from there I will command the sword to kill them.

I will not let them out of my sight;

they will experience disaster, not prosperity.”

⁵The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this.[#tn The words “will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.]

He touches the earth and it dissolves;

all who live on it mourn.

The whole earth rises like the River Nile,

and then grows calm like the Nile in Egypt.

⁶He builds the upper rooms of his palace in heaven[#tc The MT reads “his steps.” If this is correct, then the reference may be to the steps leading up to the heavenly temple or the throne of God (cf. 1 Kgs 10:19-20). The prefixed מ (mem) may be dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem). The translation assumes an emendation to עֲלִיָּתוֹ (’aliyyato, “his upper rooms”).]

and sets its foundation supports on the earth.

He summons the water of the sea

and pours it out on the earth’s surface.

The Lord is his name.

⁷“You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” says the Lord .[#tn The Hebrew text has a rhetorical question, “Are you children of Israel not like the Cushites to me?” The rhetorical question has been converted to an affirmative statement in the translation for clarity. See the comment at 8:8.sn Though Israel was God’s special covenant people (see 3:2a), the Lord emphasizes they are not inherently superior to the other nations subject to his sovereign rule.]

“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir.

⁸Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation,[#tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign Lord are on.”; #tn Or “kingdom.”]

and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.

But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob,” says the Lord .

⁹“For look, I am giving a command

and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.

It will resemble a sieve being shaken,

when not even a pebble falls to the ground.

¹⁰All the sinners among my people will die by the sword –

the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

The Restoration of the Davidic Dynasty

¹¹“In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David.[#tn The phrase translated “collapsing hut” refers to a temporary shelter (cf. NASB, NRSV “booth”) in disrepair and emphasizes the relatively weakened condition of the once powerful Davidic dynasty. Others have suggested that the term refers to Jerusalem, while still others argue that it should be repointed to read “Sukkoth,” a garrison town in Transjordan. Its reconstruction would symbolize the rebirth of the Davidic empire and its return to power (e.g., M. E. Polley, Amos and the Davidic Empire, 71-74).]

I will seal its gaps,

repair its ruins,

and restore it to what it was like in days gone by.

¹²As a result they will conquer those left in Edom[#sn They probably refers to the Israelites or to the Davidic rulers of the future.; #tn Heb “take possession of the remnant of Edom”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “possess the remnant of Edom.”]

and all the nations subject to my rule.”

The Lord , who is about to do this, is speaking!

¹³“Be sure of this, the time is coming,” says the Lord ,[#tn Heb “behold” or “look.”; #tn Heb “the days are.”]

“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper

and the one who stomps the grapes will overtake the planter.

Juice will run down the slopes,

it will flow down all the hillsides.

¹⁴I will bring back my people, Israel;[#tn This line can also be translated “I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel” and is a common idiom (e.g., Deut 30:3; Jer 30:3; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:20). This rendering is followed by several modern English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, NJPS).]

they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down.

They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce;

they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce.

¹⁵I will plant them on their land

and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,”

says the Lord your God.