Amos 7:2-3

7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,

“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! ¹ 

How can Jacob survive? ² 

He is too weak!” ³ 

7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. ⁴  “It will not happen,” the Lord said.

Isaiah 1:9

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ⁵  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ⁶ 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 30:19

30:19 Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving ⁷ 

and the sounds of laughter and merriment.

I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. ⁸ 

I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised.

[7:2]  ¹ tn “Israel” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[7:2]  ² tn Heb “stand” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[7:2]  ³ tn Heb “small.”

[7:3]  ⁴ tn Or “changed his mind about this.”

[1:9]  ⁵ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

[1:9]  ⁶ tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

[30:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”

[30:19]  ⁸ sn Compare Jer 29:6.