Isaiah 3:2-3

3:2 the mighty men and warriors,

judges and prophets,

omen readers and leaders, ¹ 

3:3 captains of groups of fifty,

the respected citizens, ² 

advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ³ 

and those who know incantations.

Isaiah 19:15

19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,

head or tail, shoots and stalk. ⁴ 

Isaiah 19:2

19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, ⁵ 

brothers will fight with each other,

as will neighbors,

cities, and kingdoms. ⁶ 

Isaiah 17:6

17:6 There will be some left behind,

like when an olive tree is beaten –

two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,

four or five on its fruitful branches,”

says the Lord God of Israel.

Hosea 1:4

1:4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, ⁷  “Name him ‘Jezreel,’ because in a little while I will punish ⁸  the dynasty ⁹  of Jehu on account of the bloodshed ¹⁰  in the valley of Jezreel, ¹¹  and I will put an end to the kingdom ¹²  of Israel. ¹³ 

Hosea 1:6

1:6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord ¹⁴  said to him, “Name her ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity ¹⁵  on the nation ¹⁶  of Israel. For ¹⁷  I will certainly not forgive ¹⁸  their guilt. ¹⁹ 

Hosea 1:9

1:9 Then the Lord ²⁰  said: “Name him ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), because you ²¹  are not my people and I am not your ²²  God.” ²³ 

Hosea 4:5

4:5 You stumble day and night,

and the false prophets stumble with you;

You have destroyed your own people! ²⁴ 

Hosea 5:12-14

The Curse of the Incurable Wound

5:12 I will be like a moth to Ephraim,

like wood rot ²⁵  to the house of Judah.

5:13 When Ephraim saw ²⁶  his sickness

and Judah saw his wound,

then Ephraim turned ²⁷  to Assyria,

and begged ²⁸  its great king ²⁹  for help.

But he will not be able to heal you!

He cannot cure your wound! ³⁰ 

The Lion Will Carry Israel Off Into Exile

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!

Hosea 8:8

8:8 Israel will be swallowed up among the nations;

they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

Hosea 9:11-17

The Fertility Worshipers Will Become Infertile

9:11 Ephraim will be like a bird;

what they value ³¹  will fly away.

They will not bear children –

they will not enjoy pregnancy –

they will not even conceive! ³² 

9:12 Even if they raise their children,

I will take away every last one of them. ³³ 

Woe to them!

For I will turn away from them.

9:13 Just as lion cubs are born predators, ³⁴ 

so Ephraim will bear his sons for slaughter.

9:14 Give them, O Lord –

what will you give them?

Give them wombs that miscarry,

and breasts that cannot nurse! ³⁵ 

9:15 Because of all their evil in Gilgal,

I hate them there.

On account of their evil deeds,

I will drive them out of my land. ³⁶ 

I will no longer love them;

all their rulers are rebels.

9:16 Ephraim will be struck down ³⁷  –

their root will be dried up;

they will not yield any fruit.

Even if they do bear children,

I will kill their precious offspring.

9:17 My God will reject them,

for they have not obeyed him;

so they will be fugitives among the nations.

Hosea 13:3

13:3 Therefore they will disappear like ³⁸  the morning mist, ³⁹ 

like early morning dew that evaporates, ⁴⁰ 

like chaff that is blown away ⁴¹  from a threshing floor,

like smoke that disappears through an open window.

Amos 2:14-16

2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; ⁴² 

strong men will have no strength left; ⁴³ 

warriors will not be able to save their lives.

2:15 Archers ⁴⁴  will not hold their ground; ⁴⁵ 

fast runners will not save their lives,

nor will those who ride horses. ⁴⁶ 

2:16 Bravehearted ⁴⁷  warriors will run away naked in that day.”

The Lord is speaking!

Amos 3:12

3:12 This is what the Lord says:

“Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,

so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. ⁴⁸ 

They will be left with just a corner of a bed, ⁴⁹ 

and a part ⁵⁰  of a couch.”

Amos 5:2-3

5:2 “The virgin ⁵¹  Israel has fallen down and will not get up again.

She is abandoned on her own land

with no one to help her get up.” ⁵² 

5:3 The sovereign Lord says this:

“The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers ⁵³  will have only a hundred left;

the town ⁵⁴  that marches out with a hundred soldiers ⁵⁵  will have only ten left for the family of Israel.” ⁵⁶ 

Amos 6:11

6:11 Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. ⁵⁷ 

He will smash the large house to bits,

and the small house into little pieces.

Amos 7:8-9

7:8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The sovereign One then said,

“Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel.

I will no longer overlook their sin. ⁵⁸ 

7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship ⁵⁹  will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” ⁶⁰ 

Amos 7:17

7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets ⁶¹ 

and your sons and daughters will die violently. ⁶² 

Your land will be given to others ⁶³ 

and you will die in a foreign ⁶⁴  land.

Israel will certainly be carried into exile ⁶⁵  away from its land.’”

Amos 9:1-9

9:1 I saw the sovereign One ⁶⁶  standing by the altar ⁶⁷  and he said, “Strike the tops of the support pillars, ⁶⁸  so the thresholds shake!

Knock them down on the heads of all the people, ⁶⁹ 

and I will kill the survivors ⁷⁰  with the sword.

No one will be able to run away; ⁷¹ 

no one will be able to escape. ⁷² 

9:2 Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, ⁷³ 

my hand would pull them up from there.

Even if they could climb up to heaven,

I would drag them down from there.

9:3 Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel,

I would hunt them down and take them from there.

Even if they tried to hide from me ⁷⁴  at the bottom of the sea,

from there ⁷⁵  I would command the Sea Serpent ⁷⁶  to bite them.

9:4 Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, ⁷⁷ 

from there ⁷⁸  I will command the sword to kill them.

I will not let them out of my sight;

they will experience disaster, not prosperity.” ⁷⁹ 

9:5 The sovereign Lord who commands armies will do this. ⁸⁰ 

He touches the earth and it dissolves; ⁸¹ 

all who live on it mourn.

The whole earth ⁸²  rises like the River Nile, ⁸³ 

and then grows calm ⁸⁴  like the Nile in Egypt. ⁸⁵ 

9:6 He builds the upper rooms of his palace ⁸⁶  in heaven

and sets its foundation supports ⁸⁷  on the earth. ⁸⁸ 

He summons the water of the sea

and pours it out on the earth’s surface.

The Lord is his name.

9:7 “You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” ⁸⁹  says the Lord.

“Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt,

but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor ⁹⁰  and the Arameans from Kir. ⁹¹ 

9:8 Look, the sovereign Lord is watching ⁹²  the sinful nation, ⁹³ 

and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.

But I will not completely destroy the family ⁹⁴  of Jacob,” says the Lord.

9:9 “For look, I am giving a command

and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.

It will resemble a sieve being shaken,

when not even a pebble falls to the ground. ⁹⁵ 

Micah 1:6-8

1:6 “I will turn Samaria ⁹⁶  into a heap of ruins in an open field –

vineyards will be planted there! ⁹⁷ 

I will tumble ⁹⁸  the rubble of her stone walls ⁹⁹  down into the valley,

and tear down her fortifications to their foundations. ¹⁰⁰ 

1:7 All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces;

all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. ¹⁰¹ 

I will make a waste heap ¹⁰²  of all her images.

Since ¹⁰³  she gathered the metal ¹⁰⁴  as a prostitute collects her wages,

the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.” ¹⁰⁵ 

1:8 For this reason I ¹⁰⁶  will mourn and wail;

I will walk around barefoot ¹⁰⁷  and without my outer garments. ¹⁰⁸ 

I will howl ¹⁰⁹  like a wild dog, ¹¹⁰ 

and screech ¹¹¹  like an owl. ¹¹² 

[3:2]  ¹ tn Heb “elder” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); NCV “older leaders.”

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “the ones lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[3:3]  ³ tn Heb “and the wise with respect to magic.” On the meaning of חֲרָשִׁים (kharashim, “magic”), see HALOT 358 s.v. III חרשׁ. Some understand here a homonym, meaning “craftsmen.” In this case, one could translate, “skilled craftsmen” (cf. NIV, NASB).

[19:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.

[19:2]  ⁵ tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).

[19:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.

[1:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “to him.” The referent (Hosea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “I will visit.” The verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”) has a very broad range of meanings: (1) “to pay attention to; to look at” (a) favorably: to look after; to provide for; to care for; (b) unfavorably: to seek vengeance for; to punish for; (2) militarily: (a) “to muster; to enroll”; (b) “to inspect; to review”; (3) leadership: (a) “to rule over; to oversee”; (b) Hiphil: “to appoint an overseer” (see BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד; HALOT 955-58 s.v. פקד). In this context, the nuance “to punish” or “to take vengeance” (see 1b above) is most appropriate. Cf. KJV, ASV “I will avenge”; NAB, NASB, NRSV “I will punish.”

[1:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “house” (so NAB, NRSV); NCV “family”; CEV “descendants.”

[1:4]  ¹⁰ tn The plural form of דָּם (dam, “blood”) refers to “bloodshed” (BDB 196 s.v. דָּם 2.f). This is an example of a plural of abnormal condition (GKC 400 §124.n). The plural is used to represent natural objects which are found in an unnatural or abnormal condition. The plural is used because the natural object is normally found as a whole or in one unit, but in the abnormal condition the object is found in many parts. Normally, blood is contained as a whole within the body. However, when a brutal murder occurs, blood is shed and literally spilled all over the place. Cf. NIV “the massacre”; TEV, CEV, NLT “the murders.”

[1:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.”

[1:4]  ¹² tn Heb “the kingdom of the house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:4]  ¹³ sn The proper name יִזְרְעֶאל (yizré’e’l, “Jezreel”) sounds like יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”). This phonetic wordplay associates the sin at Jezreel with the judgment on Israel, stressing poetic justice.

[1:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord) does not appear in Hebrew, but has been specified in the translation for clarity. Many English versions specify the speaker here (KJV “God”; ASV “Jehovah”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “the Lord”).

[1:6]  ¹⁵ sn The negative particle לאֹ (lo’, “no, not”) and the root רָחַם (rakham, “compassion”) are repeated in 1:6, creating a wordplay between the name Lo-Ruhamah (literally “No-Pity”) and the announcement of divine judgment, “I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel.”

[1:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “house”; cf. TEV, NLT “the people of Israel.”

[1:6]  ¹⁷ tn The particle כִּי (ki) probably denotes cause (so NCV, TEV, CEV) or result here (GKC 505 §166.b; BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 3.c).

[1:6]  ¹⁸ tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to take away”) frequently denotes “to forgive” meaning to take away sin (BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c). The construction נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא (naso’ ’esa’, “I will certainly take away,” infinitive absolute + imperfect of the same root) repeats the root נָשָׂא for rhetorical emphasis, stressing the divine resolution not to forgive Israel.

[1:6]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “their guilt” does not appear in Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The ellipsis of the accusative direct object of נָשׂא אֶשָּׂא (naso’ ’esa’, “I will certainly take away”) is an example of brachyology. The accusative “guilt” must be supplied frequently with נָשַׂא (see BDB 671 s.v. נָשָׂא 3.c; e.g., Num 14:19; Isa 2:9; Ps 99:8). Many recent English versions simplify this to “forgive them” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[1:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Then he said”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity. As in v. 6, many English versions specify the speaker here.

[1:9]  ²¹ tn The independent personal pronoun אַתֶּם (’attem, “you”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole. To make this clear TEV translates this as third person: “the people of Israel are not my people” (cf. CEV, NLT).

[1:9]  ²² tn The pronominal suffix on the preposition לָכֶם (lakhem, “your”) is a plural form, referring to the people of Israel as a whole.

[1:9]  ²³ tc The MT reads לֹא־אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם (lo’-’ehyeh lakhem, “I will not be yours”). The editors of BHS suggest emending the text to לֹא־אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (lo’-’elohekhem, “I will not be your God”). The emendation creates a tighter parallel with the preceding אַתֶּם לֹא עַמִּי (’attem lo’ ’ammi, “you are not my people”). Because of a lack of external evidence, however, the reading of the MT should be retained.

[4:5]  ²⁴ tc The MT reads וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּךָ (vÿdamiti ’immekha, “and I will destroy your mother”), and is followed by most English versions; however, the text should probably be emended to וְדָמִית עַמֶּךָ (vÿdamit ’ammekha, “and you have destroyed your own people”). The 2nd person masculine singular form וְדָמִית (vÿdamit, “and you have destroyed”) is preserved in several medieval Hebrew mss and reflected in Jerome’s Vulgate. For discussion in favor of the MT reading, see D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:232.

[5:12]  ²⁵ tn The noun רָקָב (raqav, “rottenness, decay”) refers to wood rot caused by the ravages of worms (BDB 955 s.v. רָקָב); cf. NLT “dry rot.” The related noun רִקָּבוֹן (riqqavon) refers to “rotten wood” (Job 41:27).

[5:13]  ²⁶ tn Hosea employs three preterites (vayyiqtol forms) in verse 13a-b to describe a past-time situation.

[5:13]  ²⁷ tn Heb “went to” (so NAB, NRSV, TEV); CEV “asked help from.”

[5:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “sent to” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[5:13]  ²⁹ tc The MT reads מֶלֶךְ יָרֵב (melekh yarev, “a contentious king”). This is translated as a proper name (“king Jareb”) by KJV, ASV, NASB. However, the stative adjective יָרֵב (“contentious”) is somewhat awkward. The words should be redivided as an archaic genitive-construct מַלְכִּי רָב (malki rav, “great king”; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) which preserves the old genitive hireq yod ending. This is the equivalent of the Assyrian royal epithet sarru rabbu (“the great king”). See also the tc note on the same phrase in 10:6.

[5:13]  ³⁰ tn Heb “your wound will not depart from you.”

[9:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “their glory” (so NASB); TEV “Israel’s greateness.”

[9:11]  ³² tn Heb “no childbearing, no pregnancy, no conception.” The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to the three parallel nouns functions in a privative sense, indicating deprivation (BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7).

[9:12]  ³³ tn Heb “I will bereave them from a man”; NRSV “I will bereave them until no one is left.”

[9:13]  ³⁴ tc The MT is corrupt in 9:13. The BHS editors suggest emending the text to follow the LXX reading. See D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5:250-51.

[9:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “breasts that shrivel up dry”; cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “dry breasts.”

[9:15]  ³⁶ tn Heb “out of my house” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV, NCV, NLT “my land.”

[9:16]  ³⁷ tn Or perhaps, following the plant metaphor, “will be blighted” (NIV similar).

[13:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “they will be like” (so NASB, NIV).

[13:3]  ³⁹ tn The phrase כְּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר (kÿ’anan-boqer, “like a cloud of the morning”) occurs also in Hos 6:4 in a similar simile. The Hebrew poets and prophets refer to morning clouds as a simile for transitoriness (Job 7:9; Isa 44:22; Hos 6:4; 13:3; HALOT 858 s.v. עָנָן 1.b; BDB 778 s.v. עָנָן 1.c).

[13:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “like the early rising dew that goes away”; TEV “like the dew that vanishes early in the day.”

[13:3]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “storm-driven away”; KJV, ASV “driven with the whirlwind out.” The verb יְסֹעֵר (yÿso’er, Poel imperfect 3rd person masculine singular from סָעַר, sa’ar, “to storm”) often refers to the intense action of strong, raging storm winds (e.g., Jonah 1:11, 13). The related nouns refer to “heavy gale,” “storm wind,” and “high wind” (BDB 704 s.v. סָעַר; HALOT 762 s.v. סער). The verb is used figuratively to describe the intensity of God’s destruction of the wicked whom he will “blow away” (Isa 54:11; Hos 13:3; Hab 3:14; Zech 7:14; BDB 704 s.v.; HALOT 762 s.v.).

[2:14]  ⁴² tn Heb “and a place of refuge will perish from the swift.”

[2:14]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the strong will not increase his strength.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the one who holds the bow.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁵ tn For the idiom of “holding [or “standing”] one’s ground” in battle, there is a similar phrase in Ezek 13:5; also related is the expression “to hold one’s own against” (or “to withstand”) in Judg 2:14; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 8:7 (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 97). Other options include “will not endure” or “will not survive.”

[2:15]  ⁴⁶ tn The last two lines read literally, “The one fast in his feet will not rescue [his life], and the rider of the horse will not rescue his life.” The phrase “his life” does double duty in the parallelism and should be understood in both lines.

[2:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “the most stouthearted” (NAB); NRSV “those who are stout of heart.”

[3:12]  ⁴⁸ sn The verb translated salvaged, though often used in a positive sense of deliverance from harm, is here employed in a sarcastic manner. A shepherd would attempt to salvage part of an animal to prove that a predator had indeed killed it. In this way he could prove that he had not stolen the missing animal and absolve himself from any responsibility to repay the owner (see Exod 22:12-13).

[3:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “with a corner of a bed.”

[3:12]  ⁵⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דְּמֶשֶׁק (dÿmesheq), which occurs only here, is uncertain. If not emended, it is usually related to the term ַדּמֶּשֶׂק (dammeseq) and translated as the “Damask linens” of the bed (cf. NASB “the cover”) or as “in Damascus” (so KJV, NJB, NIV). The differences in spelling (Damascus is spelled correctly in 5:27), historical considerations, and the word order make both of these derivations unlikely. Many emendations have been proposed (e.g., “a part from the foot [of a bed],” based on a different division of the Hebrew letters (cf. NEB, NRSV); “on the edge,” based on a Hebrew term not attested in the Bible (NKJV). Some suggest a resemblance to an Akkadian term which means “sideboard [of a bed],” which is sometimes incorrectly rendered “headboard” (NJPS; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 121-22). Most likely another part of a bed or couch is in view, but it is difficult to be more specific.

[5:2]  ⁵¹ tn Or “young lady.” The term “Israel” is an appositional genitive.

[5:2]  ⁵² tn Or “with no one to lift her up.”

[5:3]  ⁵³ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “The one.” The word “town” has been used in the translation in keeping with the relative sizes of the armed contingents sent out by each. It is also possible that this line is speaking of the same city of the previous line. In other words, the contingent sent by that one city would have suffered a ninety-nine percent casualty loss.

[5:3]  ⁵⁵ tn The word “soldiers” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “for/to the house of Israel.” The translation assumes that this is a graphic picture of what is left over for the defense of the nation (NEB, NJB, NASB, NKJV). Others suggest that this phrase completes the introductory formula (“The sovereign Lord says this…”; see v. 4a; NJPS). Another option is that the preposition has a vocative force, “O house of Israel” (F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos [AB], 476). Some simply delete the phrase as dittography from the following line (NIV).

[6:11]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “is issuing the decree.”

[7:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “And I will no longer pass over him.”

[7:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”

[7:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”

[7:17]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”

[7:17]  ⁶² tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”

[7:17]  ⁶³ tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”

[7:17]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “[an] unclean”; or “[an] impure.” This fate would be especially humiliating for a priest, who was to distinguish between the ritually clean and unclean (see Lev 10:10).

[7:17]  ⁶⁵ tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.

[9:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:1]  ⁶⁷ sn The altar is perhaps the altar at Bethel.

[9:1]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “the capitals.” The Hebrew singular form is collective.

[9:1]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “cut them off on the head of all of them.” The translation assumes the objective suffix on the verb refers to the tops of the pillars and that the following prepositional phrase refers to the people standing beneath. Another option is to take this phrase as referring to the pillars, in which case one could translate, “Knock all the tops of the pillars off.”

[9:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “the remnant of them.” One could possibly translate, “every last one of them” (cf. NEB “to the last man”). This probably refers to those who survive the collapse of the temple, which may symbolize the northern kingdom.

[9:1]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “a fugitive belonging to them will not run away.”

[9:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “a survivor belonging to them will not escape.”

[9:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “into Sheol” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV), that is, the land of the dead localized in Hebrew thought in the earth’s core or the grave. Cf. KJV “hell”; NCV, NLT “the place of the dead”; NIV “the depths of the grave.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “from before my eyes.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁵ tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).

[9:3]  ⁷⁶ sn If the article indicates a definite serpent, then the mythological Sea Serpent, symbolic of the world’s chaotic forces, is probably in view. See Job 26:13 and Isa 27:1 (where it is also called Leviathan). Elsewhere in the OT this serpent is depicted as opposing the Lord, but this text implies that even this powerful enemy of God is ultimately subject to his sovereign will.

[9:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Even if they go into captivity before their enemies.”

[9:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Or perhaps simply, “there,” if the מ (mem) prefixed to the adverb is dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem).

[9:4]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “I will set my eye on them for disaster, not good.”

[9:5]  ⁸⁰ tn The words “will do this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:5]  ⁸¹ tn Or “melts.” The verb probably depicts earthquakes and landslides. See v. 5b.

[9:5]  ⁸² tn Heb “all of it.”

[9:5]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the Nile.” The word “River” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “sinks back down.”

[9:5]  ⁸⁵ sn See Amos 8:8, which is very similar to this verse.

[9:6]  ⁸⁶ tc The MT reads “his steps.” If this is correct, then the reference may be to the steps leading up to the heavenly temple or the throne of God (cf. 1 Kgs 10:19-20). The prefixed מ (mem) may be dittographic (note the preceding word ends in mem). The translation assumes an emendation to עֲלִיָּתוֹ (’aliyyato, “his upper rooms”).

[9:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Traditionally, “vault” (so ASV, NAB, NRSV). The precise meaning of this word in this context is unclear. Elsewhere it refers to objects grouped or held together. F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman (Amos [AB], 845-46) suggest the foundational structure of a building is in view.

[9:6]  ⁸⁸ sn Verse 6a pictures the entire universe as a divine palace founded on the earth and extending into the heavens.

[9:7]  ⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew text has a rhetorical question, “Are you children of Israel not like the Cushites to me?” The rhetorical question has been converted to an affirmative statement in the translation for clarity. See the comment at 8:8.

[9:7]  ⁹⁰ sn Caphtor may refer to the island of Crete.

[9:7]  ⁹¹ tn The second half of v. 7 is also phrased as a rhetorical question in the Hebrew text, “Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?” The translation converts the rhetorical question into an affirmation for clarity.

[9:8]  ⁹² tn Heb “the eyes of the sovereign Lord are on.”

[9:8]  ⁹³ tn Or “kingdom.”

[9:8]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[9:9]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “like being shaken with a sieve, and a pebble does not fall to the ground.” The meaning of the Hebrew word צְרוֹר (tsÿror), translated “pebble,” is unclear here. In 2 Sam 17:13 it appears to refer to a stone. If it means “pebble,” then the sieve described in v. 6 allows the grain to fall into a basket while retaining the debris and pebbles. However, if one interprets צְרוֹר as a “kernel of grain” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT) then the sieve is constructed to retain the grain and allow the refuse and pebbles to fall to the ground. In either case, the simile supports the last statement in v. 8 by making it clear that God will distinguish between the righteous (the grain) and the wicked (the pebbles) when he judges, and will thereby preserve a remnant in Israel. Only the sinners will be destroyed (v. 10).

[1:6]  ⁹⁶ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[1:6]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “into a planting place for vineyards.”

[1:6]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “pour” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, NRSV “pour down”; NAB “throw down”; NLT “roll.”

[1:6]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “her stones.” The term stones is a metonymy for the city walls whose foundations were constructed of stone masonry.

[1:6]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “I will uncover her foundations.” The term “foundations” refers to the lower courses of the stones of the city’s outer fortification walls.

[1:7]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and all her prostitute’s wages will be burned with fire.”

[1:7]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “I will make desolate” (so NASB).

[1:7]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “for” (KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[1:7]  ¹⁰⁴ tn No object is specified in the Hebrew text; the words “the metal” are supplied from the context.

[1:7]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “for from a prostitute’s wages she gathered, and to a prostitute’s wages they will return.” When the metal was first collected it was comparable to the coins a prostitute would receive for her services. The metal was then formed into idols, but now the Lord’s fiery judgment would reduce the metal images to their original condition.

[1:8]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The prophet is probably the speaker here.

[1:8]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “stripped.” The precise meaning of this Hebrew word is unclear. It may refer to walking barefoot (see 2 Sam 15:30) or to partially stripping oneself (see Job 12:17-19).

[1:8]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “naked.” This probably does not refer to complete nudity, but to stripping off one’s outer garments as an outward sign of the destitution felt by the mourner.

[1:8]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “I will make lamentation.”

[1:8]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “a jackal”; CEV “howling wolves.”

[1:8]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “[make] a mourning.”

[1:8]  ¹¹² tn Or perhaps “ostrich” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).