Amos 9

1 I saw the Lord [Adonay, the revered Master] standing beside the altar [place of sacrifice], and He said: “Strike [smite, inflict a blow] the tops of the pillars [capitals, decorative tops] so that the thresholds [door sills, foundations] shake [tremble, quake]. Topple [break, cut off] them on the heads [the topmost part of the body] of all the people, and I will kill [slay, destroy] the rest with the sword [cutting instrument, weapon]. None of those who flee [escape, run away] will get away [escape, be delivered]; none of the fugitives [survivors, refugees] will escape [be saved, slip away]. word study 2 Though they dig down [into the depths of] to Sheol [the underworld, place of the dead], from there My hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] will take them; and though they climb up [ascend to the highest point] to heaven [the abode of God, the sky], from there I will pull them down [bring them back to earth, humble them]. word study 3 Though they hide [conceal, secrete] themselves atop [on the top of, at the summit] Carmel [a fruitful and plentiful field], there I will track [search, look for] them and seize [take, capture] them; and though they hide [be hid, concealed] from Me at the bottom [floor, depth] of the sea [a large body of water], there I will command [give orders, appoint] the serpent [a snake] to bite [attack, wound] them. word study 4 Though they are driven [taken away, exiled] by their enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] into captivity [a state of being held prisoner, bondage], there I will command [give orders, appoint] the sword [a cutting instrument] to slay [kill, destroy] them. I will fix [set, focus] My eyes [My gaze, My attention] upon them for harm [evil, bad] and not for good [welfare, prosperity].” word study 5 The Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces], He who touches [strikes, reaches out to] the earth [land, creation] and it melts [dissolves, becomes weak], and all [everything, every living thing] its dwellers [inhabitants, those who reside] mourn [lament, grieve]— all [every part, the whole] the land rises [ascends, is lifted up] like the Nile [a life-giving river], then sinks [subsides, goes down] like the river of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians]— word study 6 He builds [constructs, establishes] His upper rooms [chambers, stories] in the heavens [the visible universe, the sky] and founds [establishes, lays the foundation of] His vault [dome, arch] upon the earth [the land, the ground]. He summons [calls, cries out to] the waters [the seas, the oceans] of the sea [the deep] and pours [empties, spills] them over the face [the surface, the presence] of the earth [the land, the ground]. The LORD [Yehovah, the Eternal One] is His name [His identity, His character]. word study 7 “Are you not [as valuable, equally loved] like the Cushites [Ethiopians, the people of Cush] to Me, O children [sons, descendants] of Israel?” declares the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. “Did I not [certainly, without a doubt] bring Israel up from the land [earth, territory] of Egypt, the Philistines [immigrants, non-Israelites] from Caphtor [an island, possibly Crete], and the Arameans [Syrians, people of Aram] from Kir [a region, possibly in Assyria]? word study 8 Surely the eyes [watchful and all-seeing] of the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] GOD [Yehovah] are on the sinful [guilty, rebellious] kingdom, and I will destroy [annihilate, bring to an end] it from the face [presence, surface] of the earth [the land, the world]. Yet I will not utterly [completely, totally] destroy [bring to ruin, devastate] the house [family, descendants] of Jacob [the people of God, Israel],” declares [speaks, utters] the LORD. word study 9 “For surely [indeed, certainly] I will give the command [to appoint, to ordain], and I will shake [to sift, to move back and forth] the house [family, dwelling place] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people] among all [every, the whole] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews] as grain [corn, kernels] is sifted [shaken, separated] in a sieve [a tool for separating]; but not a pebble [small stone, kernel] will reach [fall upon] the ground [land, earth]. word study 10 All [every single one, the entire group] the sinners [those who have committed a crime or sin, guilty ones] among My people [My nation, the ones I have chosen] will die [perish, meet their end] by the sword [a cutting instrument, a weapon of war]— all those who say [speak, declare], ‘Disaster [evil, calamity] will never [not at all] draw near [approach, come close] or confront [meet, overtake] us [till our time is up, as far as we are concerned].’” word study 11 “In that day [a future time of fulfillment] I will restore [raise up, rebuild] the fallen [collapsed, destroyed] tent [tabernacle, booth] of David [the king of Israel]. I will repair [close up, mend] its gaps [breaches, broken places], restore [raise up, rebuild] its ruins [destroyed places, fallen walls], and rebuild [build, establish] it as in the days [time, era] of old [long ago, ancient times], word study 12 that they may possess [take control of, inherit] the remnant [what is left, the surviving part] of Edom [the region of Esau’s descendants] and all [every, the whole] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] that bear [are called by, invoke] My name [My identity, reputation],” declares [utters, speaks] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], who will do [accomplish, bring about] this [this act, this event]. word study 13 “Behold [look, see, take notice], the days [a period of time, an era] are coming [approaching, drawing near],” declares the LORD, “when the plowman [one who cultivates the soil] will overtake [catch up to, surpass] the reaper [one who harvests] and the treader [one who crushes] of grapes [a type of fruit], the sower [one who plants] of seed [offspring, descendants]. The mountains [elevated lands] will drip [drop, flow] with sweet [fresh, new] wine [pressed from grapes], with which [resulting in] all [everything, the whole] the hills [small mountains] will flow [be filled, overflow]. word study 14 I will restore [bring back, return from exile] My people Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen nation] from captivity [a state of being held prisoner, bondage]; they will rebuild [reestablish, reconstruct] and inhabit [dwell, live in] the ruined [desolate, devastated] cities. They will plant [establish, cultivate] vineyards [gardens for growing grapes] and drink [partake of, enjoy] their wine [fermented grape juice]; they will make [create, cultivate] gardens [places for growing plants and trees] and eat [enjoy, consume] their fruit [the produce of their labor, the result of their efforts]. word study 15 I will firmly [establish, fix] plant them in their own [promised, ancestral] land, never again [still, from this time on] to be uprooted [plucked, torn away] from the land that I have given them [as a possession, an inheritance],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler]. word study