42:13 The Lord emerges like a hero,
like a warrior he inspires himself for battle; 1
he shouts, yes, he yells,
he shows his enemies his power. 2
5:14 I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I myself will tear them to pieces,
then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!
13:7 So 3 I will pounce on them like a lion; 4
like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
13:8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs –
I will rip open their chests.
I will devour them there like a lion –
like a wild animal would tear them apart.
2:11 The voice of the Lord thunders 5 as he leads his army. 6
Indeed, his warriors 7 are innumerable; 8
Surely his command is carried out! 9
Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome 10
and very terrifying – who can survive 11 it?
2:12 “Yet even now,” the Lord says,
“return to me with all your heart –
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts, 12
not just your garments!”
2:13 Return to the Lord your God,
for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to anger and boundless in loyal love 13 – often relenting from calamitous punishment. 14
3:16 The Lord roars from Zion;
from Jerusalem 15 his voice bellows out. 16
The heavens 17 and the earth shake.
But the Lord is a refuge for his people;
he is a stronghold for the citizens 18 of Israel.
1:2 Amos 19 said:
“The Lord comes roaring 20 out of Zion;
from Jerusalem 21 he comes bellowing! 22
The shepherds’ pastures wilt; 23
the summit of Carmel 24 withers.” 25
3:8 A lion has roared! 26 Who is not afraid?
The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy? 27
1 tn Heb “like a man of war he stirs up zeal” (NIV similar).
2 tn Or perhaps, “he triumphs over his enemies” (cf. NIV); NLT “will crush all his enemies.”
3 tn The vav consecutive + preterite form וָאֱהִי (va’ehi) introduces a consequential or result clause; cf. NAB “Therefore”; NCV “That is why.”
4 tn Heb “So I will be like a lion to them” (so NASB); NIV “I will come upon them like a lion.”
5 tn Heb “the
6 tn Heb “before his army.”
7 tn Heb “military encampment.”
8 tn Heb “very large.”
9 tn Heb “he makes his word powerful.”
10 tn Or “powerful.” Heb “great.”
11 tn Heb “endure.” The MT and LXX read “endure,” while one of the Qumran manuscripts (4QXXIIc) has “bear.”
12 sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance, and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.
13 tn Heb “and great of loyal love.”
14 tn Heb “and he relents from calamity.”
15 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
16 tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”
17 tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.
18 tn Heb “sons.”
19 tn Heb “he;” the referent (Amos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 sn The
21 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
22 tn Heb “gives his voice.”
23 tn Lexicographers debate whether there are two roots אָבַל (’aval), one signifying “mourn” and the other “be dry,” or simply one (“mourn”). The parallel verb (“withers”) might favor the first option and have the meaning “wilt away.” It is interesting to note, however, that the root appears later in the book in the context of lament (5:16; 8:8, 10; 9:5). Either 1:2 is a possible wordplay to alert the reader to the death that will accompany the judgment (the option of two roots), or perhaps the translation “mourns” is appropriate here as well (cf. KJV, NASB, NKJV, NJPS; see also D. J. A. Clines, “Was There an ’BL II ‘Be Dry’ in Classical Hebrew?” VT 42 [1992]: 1-10).
24 sn Carmel was a region known for its abundant plants and trees. See Isa 33:9; 35:2; Jer 50:19.
25 sn Loss of a land’s fertility is frequently associated with judgment in the OT and ancient Near Eastern literature.
26 sn The roar of the lion is here a metaphor for impending judgment (see 1:2; cf. 3:4, 12). Verses 7-8 justify Amos’ prophetic ministry and message of warning and judgment. The people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.
27 sn Who can refuse to prophesy? When a message is revealed, the prophet must speak, and the news of impending judgment should cause people to fear.