Don’t you realize the Lord’s day of judgment will bring darkness, not light – gloomy blackness, not bright light?

Archers will not hold their ground; fast runners will not save their lives, nor will those who ride horses.

Fast runners will find no place to hide; strong men will have no strength left; warriors will not be able to save their lives.

A lion has roared! Who is not afraid? The sovereign Lord has spoken! Who can refuse to prophesy?

Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves.

You are happy because you conquered Lo-Debar. You say, “Did we not conquer Karnaim by our own power?”

“I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies!

If an alarm sounds in a city, do people not fear? If disaster overtakes a city, is the Lord not responsible?

People from two or three cities staggered into one city to get water, but remained thirsty. Still you did not come back to me.” The Lord is speaking!

Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees.

So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’

Take away from me your noisy songs; I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments.

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

“But you made the Nazirites drink wine; you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’

“They do not know how to do what is right.” (The Lord is speaking.) “They store up the spoils of destructive violence in their fortresses.

“The virgin 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.”

They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, and pour the very best oils on themselves. Yet they are not concerned over the ruin of Joseph.

The Lord decided not to do this. The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”

All the sinners among my people will die by the sword – the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

This is what the Lord says: “Because Tyre has committed three crimes – make that four! – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold a whole community to Edom; they failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood.