Amos 9

1 Yahweh [showed me another vision. In the vision, ] I saw him standing next to the altar. He said, “Shake the tops of the pillars [of the temple], until they become loose and fall down, so that even the foundation will shake. Then cause the [pieces of the temple] to fall down on the people [who are inside]. I will kill with a sword anyone who [tries to] flee; no one will escape.

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the foundations will shake. Break them in pieces on all of their heads, and I will kill the last of them with the sword. Not one of them will get away, not one of them will escape.

2 If they dig deep pits in the ground, or if they try to climb up to the sky [in order to escape], I will reach out and grab them. (Sheol h7585)

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

3 If they go to the top of Carmel [Mountain] to escape, I will search for them and seize them. If they [try to] hide from me at the bottom of the sea, I will command the [huge] sea monster to bite them.

Though they hide on the top of Carmel, there I will search and take them. Though they are hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there will I give orders to the serpent, and it will bite them.

4 If their enemies [capture them and] force them to go to other countries, I will command that they be killed there with swords. I am determined [IDM] to get rid of them, not to help them.”

Though they go into captivity, driven by their enemies before them, there will I give orders to the sword, and it will kill them. I will keep my eyes on them for harm and not for good.”

5 When the Commander of the armies of angels touches the earth, it melts, and all over the earth [many people die, and the others] mourn for them. [It is as though] Yahweh causes the earth repeatedly to rise and fall like [SIM] the Nile [River] rises and falls.

The Lord Yahweh of hosts touches the land and it melts; all who live in it mourn; all of it will rise up like the River, and sink again like the river of Egypt.

6 He builds his [beautiful] palace in heaven, and sets/causes the sky to be like a dome over the earth. He scoops up the water from the ocean and [puts it into clouds], and then empties [the clouds] onto the earth. His name is Yahweh.

It is he who builds his steps in the heavens, and has established his vault over the earth. He calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name.

7 And Yahweh says, “You people of Israel, you are certainly [RHQ] [now no more important to me] than the people of Ethiopia. I brought your [ancestors] here from Egypt, but I also brought the people of Philistia from Crete [Island], and I brought the people of Syria from the Kir [region].

“Are you not like the people of Cush to me, people of Israel? —this is Yahweh's declaration. Did I not bring up Israel out of the land of Egypt, the Philistines from Crete, and the Arameans from Kir?

8 I [SYN], Yahweh the Lord, have seen that you people in the kingdom [of Israel] are very sinful, so I will (destroy you/wipe you off the earth). But I will not get rid of all you descendants [MTY] of Jacob. [That is what will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.

Look, the eyes of the Lord Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth, except that I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob —this is Yahweh's declaration.

9 When I command it, [it will be as though] I will shake you Israeli people [who are living] in various nations, like [MET] [a farmer] shakes a sieve [to separate] the stone pebbles [from the grain], in order that they do not fall on the ground [with the grain].

Look, I will give a command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes grain in a sieve, so that not the smallest stone will fall to the ground.

10 From among my people, all you sinful people who say, ‘We will not experience disasters; nothing evil will happen to us,’ will be killed by [your enemies’] swords.”

All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, those who say, 'Disaster will not overtake or meet us.'

11 “The kingdom [over which King] David [ruled has been destroyed, like] [MET] a house that collapsed and then became ruins. But some day I will cause it to be a kingdom again. I will cause it to prosper again just like it did previously.

In that day I will raise up the tent of David that has fallen, and close up its breaches. I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,

12 When that happens, your [armies] will seize/capture the remaining part of Edom [region] again, and they will also seize the land in other nations that previously belonged to me [MTY]. I, Yahweh, have said [that I will do these things], and I will certainly cause them to happen.

That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations that are called by my name —this is Yahweh's declaration—he does this.

13 There will be a time [when your crops will grow very well]. Very soon after the crops are harvested, farmers will plow the ground [to plant more crops in it again], and soon after the vineyards are planted, [farmers will harvest] grapes and tread on them [to make wine]. [And because there will be a lot of] wine, [it will seem as though] wine is flowing down from the hills [DOU].

Look, the days will come—this is Yahweh's declaration— when the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes will overtake him who plants seed. The mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it.

14 I will cause you, my Israeli people, to prosper again. You will rebuild your towns and live in them. You will plant vineyards and then drink the wine [made from the grapes that grows in them].

I will bring back from captivity my people Israel. They will build the ruined cities and inhabit them, they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

15 I will enable you to live [MET] in your land again, the land that I gave to [your ancestors], and never again will you be forced to leave it. [That is what will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.”

I will plant them upon their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land that I have given them,” says Yahweh your God.