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Amos 9

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I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

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Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

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And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

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And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

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And the Lord God of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

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It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.

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Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?

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Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.

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For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

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All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

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In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

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That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.

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Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

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And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

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And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.

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Amos 9

Amos reports a final vision in which the LORD stands beside the altar and commands it to be struck so that the thresholds shake and all the people fall, indicating that even the sanctuary cannot protect Israel from judgment, and that religious institutions have become corrupted and will fall with the nation. The prophet articulates God's determination to pursue Israel even if they flee to Sheol, climb to heaven, hide on Mount Carmel, or sink to the bottom of the sea—divine justice is inescapable and universal, transcending all human attempts at evasion. Yet in a stunning reversal, the chapter concludes with God's promise to restore the booth of David that has fallen and rebuild it as in the days of old, so that Israel may possess the remnant of Edom and all nations that have been called by God's name. The phrase "the booth of David" refers to the reestablishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of David's kingdom, indicating eschatological hope that extends beyond Amos's own time to a future age of restoration. The final promise—that in that day, the plowman shall overtake the reaper, the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it—depicts a reversal of the agricultural judgments that opened the prophecy, with supernatural abundance and fertility signifying God's ultimate vindication and redemption of His people. This closing oracle transforms Amos's prophecy of judgment into a message of ultimate hope, suggesting that exile and destruction are not God's final word but rather the necessary prerequisite for a renewed and restored covenant people.

Amos 9:1

The vision of the LORD standing beside the altar with a command to strike the capitals until the thresholds shake indicates the attack on the very heart of Israel's religious institution. The earthquake imagery suggests the destruction of the Temple and the religious order.

Amos 9:2

The statement that though they dig into Sheol the hand of the LORD shall take them and though they climb up to heaven the LORD shall bring them down indicates the inescapability of divine judgment. No refuge exists from the pursuing God.

Amos 9:3

The statement that though they hide on the top of Carmel the LORD shall search them out and take them and though they hide from his sight at the bottom of the sea the LORD shall command the serpent and it shall bite them indicates absolute inescapability. Every hiding place is penetrated.

Amos 9:4

The promise that though they go into captivity before their enemies the LORD shall command the sword and it shall slay them indicates that exile provides no escape from judgment. The pursuing sword indicates that judgment follows even into exile.

Amos 9:5

The doxology celebrating the LORD who touches the earth and it melts and all its inhabitants mourn indicates God's cosmic power and ability to alter creation. The assertion emphasizes the overwhelming force of divine power.

Amos 9:6

The statement that the LORD builds his upper chambers in the heavens and establishes his vault over the earth and calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth indicates God's cosmic architecture and control of natural forces.

Amos 9:7

The rhetorical question about whether the LORD did not bring up Israel from Egypt also the Ethiopians from Cush and the Canaanites from Caphtor indicates that God has guided multiple peoples. The implication suggests that Israel's election does not guarantee special treatment.

Amos 9:8

The statement that the eyes of the LORD God are upon the sinful kingdom and the LORD will destroy it from the face of the earth indicates God's direct judgment on Israel. The assertion of God's complete destruction of Israel emphasizes the totality of judgment.

Amos 9:9

The image of the sieve and the shaking of the house of Israel among all nations indicates that Israel will be sifted through the nations. The sieving suggests that the chaff of the wicked will be removed while a remnant is preserved.

Amos 9:10

The statement that all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword those who say evil shall not overtake or confront us indicates that those who deny the coming judgment will perish. The arrogance of denying danger seals their doom.

Amos 9:11

The promise that the LORD will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old indicates the restoration of the Davidic dynasty and kingship. The fallen booth suggests the collapse of the northern kingdom.

Amos 9:12

The promise that Israel may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations called by God's name indicates the expansion of Israel's territory and the subjugation of neighboring peoples. The covenant restoration includes territorial expansion.

Amos 9:13

The image of the plowman overtaking the reaper and the treader of grapes the sower indicates the abundance of the restored land where growth so rapidly follows harvest that the agricultural cycle accelerates. The metaphor suggests unlimited fertility.

Amos 9:14

The promise that the LORD will restore the captivity of his people Israel and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them and plant vineyards and drink their wine indicates the restoration of the land and people after exile. The restoration includes the rebuilding of civilization.

Amos 9:15

The final verse promises that the LORD will plant them upon their land and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land that the LORD has given them indicates the permanence of restored Israel. The unplucking suggests eternal security in the land.