Amos 9

1 I saw the Lord towering above the altar, and he commanded: Strike the tops of the pillars so that the foundations may shake, bring them down on the heads of the people below. The rest of them I will slay with the sword: no one will get away, no one will escape.

I saw the LORD standing beside the altar, and he said, "Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.

2 If they dig down to Sheol, there will my hand take them. If they climb up to the heavens, from there will I bring them down. (Sheol h7585)

Though they dig into Sheol, there my hand will take them; and though they climb up to heaven, there I will bring them down. (Sheol h7585)

3 If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there will I search them out and take them. If they hide out of my sight at the bottom of the sea, there will I command the sea serpent to bite them.

Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out there; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.

4 If they are taken into captivity by their enemies, there will I command the sword to slay them. I will keep my eye on them but for evil and not for good.

Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for disaster, and not for good.

5 It is the Lord the God of hosts, who touches the earth and it trembles, all who live on it mourn. The earth rises up like the Nile, and sinks like the Nile of Egypt.

For the LORD of hosts is he who touches the land and it melts, and all who dwell in it will mourn; and it will rise up wholly like the River, and will sink again, like the River of Egypt.

6 The one who builds in the heavens, who sets the dome of the sky over the earth, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth: the Lord is his name.

It is he who builds his upper chamber in the heavens, and has founded his vault on the earth; he who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth; the LORD is his name.

7 To me, Israelites, you are just like the Cushites, says the Lord. Yes, I brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, but also the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir!

Are you not like the people of Ethiopia to me, children of Israel?" says the LORD. "Haven't I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Arameans from Kir?

8 Behold the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom: I will destroy it from the face of the earth! But I will not completely destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord.

Look, the eyes of the LORD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," says the LORD.

9 For behold I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations just as one shakes grain in a sieve, but not a pebble shall fall to the ground.

"For, look, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as one sifts with a sieve, but not even a pebble will fall to the ground.

10 All the sinners of my people, who deny that disaster will touch or befall them, will die by the sword.

All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, 'Evil won't overtake nor meet us.'

11 On that day I will raise up the fallen house of David, I will wall up its gaps and raise up its ruins, I will rebuild it as it was long ago.

On that day I will rebuild the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and repair its broken places, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it as in the days of old;

12 They will possess again the rest of Edom, and all the nations which once you ruled for me, says the Lord, who will do this.

that the rest of humanity may seek after the LORD, and all the nations who are called by my name," says the LORD who does this.

13 Listen! The days are coming, says the Lord, when the harvest is too big to reap before it is time to plough, when the grapes cannot be all trod before it is time to sow, when the mountains will run with sweet wine, and every hill will flow with it.

"Look, the days come," says the LORD, "that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and sweet wine will drip from the mountains, and flow from the hills.

14 I will bring back my people Israel, they will rebuild waste cities and inhabit them, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their fruit.

I will bring my people Israel back from captivity, and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

15 I will plant them on their own soil, and they will never again be uprooted from their land which I have given them, says the Lord your God.

I will plant them on their land, and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them," says the LORD your God.