They have been unfaithful to the LORD, having raised unbelieving children. In the coming month they will be devoured, along with their fields.

Ephraim will be desolate when it is rebuked. I have made known among the tribes of Israel what will surely come about.

The princes of Judah have become like those who move boundary markers: I will pour out my anger on them like water.

"But like Adam, they broke the covenant; in this they have acted deceitfully against me.

I have seen a horrible evil in the house of Israel Ephraim's promiscuity. Israel is defiled.

It never occurs to them that I remember all their sin. Now their actions have caught up with them, and they have my attention.

For they have stirred up themselves like an oven as they lie in ambush. Their baker sleeps through the night; in the morning, the oven will be blazing like a fire.

They all burn like an oven; they have consumed their judges; all their kings have fallen not even one of them calls on me.

Foreigners have consumed his strength, and he hasn't noticed. Furthermore, his head is sprinkled with gray hair, but he doesn't realize it.

Woe to them because they have run away from me. Ruin to them because they have sinned against me. Even though I redeemed them, they spread lies against me.

"Though I have taught them and strengthened their arms, nevertheless they plot evil against me.

Look! They have gone away because of the destruction Egypt will gather them up, and Memphis will bury them. Weeds will overgrow their inheritance, and thorns will grow in their tents.

They have corrupted themselves deeply, as did Gibeah in its day. Therefore God will remember their lawlessness, and he will pay them back for their sins.

From now on they will say, "We have no king, because we did not fear the LORD and what would a king do for us?'

"From the time of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel; There they took their stand; the battle at Gibeah could not subdue the lawless.

You have plowed evil; you have reaped unrighteousness; you have eaten the fruit of hypocrisy; because you trusted in your own direction, and in the number of your mighty forces.

Ephraim claims, "I have become rich, I have made a fortune! Because of all my wealth, no one will find any iniquity or sin in me.'

"There's iniquity in Gilead, isn't there? They have become truly vain. They sacrifice bulls in Gilgal; their altars are like piles of stone in furrowed fields.

"I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt, and you have known no god except for me, because except for me there is no savior.

"You have destroyed yourself, Israel, although I remain your help.

"Return, Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have fallen due to your own iniquity.

"I will correct their apostasy, loving them freely, since my anger will have turned away from them.

"Ephraim, what have I in common with idols? I have listened and will pay attention to him. I am like a flourishing cypress; in me will your fruit be found."

Both grain offering and wine offering have been removed from the LORD's Temple; the priests and ministering servants of the LORD are mourning."

Oh, how the livestock groan! The herds of cattle wander about because they have no pasture. Even flocks of sheep suffer!

The livestock also cries out to you, because their water sources have evaporated and because fire has consumed the open pastures.

Then the LORD will show great concern for his land, and will have compassion on his people.

"I will remove the northerners from you, driving them to a barren and desolate land the front toward the Dead Sea and the back toward the Mediterranean. Their stench will rise, and their stinking odor will ascend, because they have done great things."

You will have plenty to eat, and will be fully satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has performed wonders specifically for you. And my people will never be ashamed.

"Furthermore, what have you to do with me, Tyre, Sidon, and all the sea coasts of Philistia? Are you taking revenge on me? If you are taking revenge on me, I'll send it back on you swiftly and promptly,

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Damascus and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because they have trampled down Gilead with ironclad threshing sleds.

"You alone have I known from among all of the families of mankind; therefore I will hold you accountable for all your iniquities.'"

"I also have scheduled food shortages for you in all of your cities, and lack of bread in all of your settlements, but you haven't returned to me," declares the LORD.

"I therefore have withheld the rain from you three months before the harvest, causing rain to come upon one city, but not upon another, and upon one field but not upon another, so that it would wither.

So the people of two or three cities staggered away to another city in order to obtain drinking water, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.

"I afflicted you with blight and fungus; and the locust swarm devoured the harvest of your gardens, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.

"I sent plagues among you as I did with Egypt. I killed your choicest young men with the sword. I took your horses away from you. I filled your noses with the stench of your encampments, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.

"I overthrew your cities, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You've become like a burning ember, snatched from the fire, but you have not returned to me," declares the LORD.

"For this is what the Lord GOD says: "The city that is sending out a thousand will have a hundred left; The city that is sending out a hundred will have ten left of the house of Israel.'"

Those of you who are making justice taste bitter, and who have thrown righteousness to the ground:

They have hated those who are presenting their cases in court, detesting the one who speaks truthfully.

"Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming.

"Horses don't run over bare rock, do they? One doesn't plow rock with oxen, does he? But you have turned justice to gall, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.

And the LORD was asking me, "What do you see, Amos?" I replied, "A plumb line." So the Lord said, "Look, I have set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will no longer spare them.

Amos replied in answer to Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet's son, for I have been shepherding and picking the fruit of sycamore trees.

"The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: I will never forget anything they have done.

Those who have been swearing oaths by the sin of Samaria, or who say, "As your god lives, Dan"' or who say, "As the way of Beer-sheba lives"' will fall, and will never rise again."

1Obadiah's vision: This is what the Lord God has to say about Edom. We have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger has been dispatched among the nations to say "Get up! Let us rise up against her to fight!"

"You should not have gloated over your brother, on the day of his calamity. You should not have rejoiced when the descendants of Judah were perishing. You should not have boasted when they were in distress.

"You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their disaster. Also, you should not have gloated over Judah's misfortune on the day of his disaster, nor should you have plundered his wealth on the day of his disaster.

And you should not have taken your stand at the crossroads to cut down his fleeing refugees, nor should you have handed over his survivors on the day of his distress."

"Indeed, the Day of the Lord approaches all nations. As you have done it will be done to you your deeds will return to haunt you! so will all nations drink from the cup of my wrath perpetually.

Just as you have drunk from the cup of my wrath upon my holy mountain, They will drink, they will gulp it down, and they will be as if they had never existed!

In mounting terror, the men asked him, "What have you done?" The men were aware that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had admitted this to them.

Because the sea was growing more and more stormy, they asked him, "What do we have to do to you so the sea will calm down for us?"

At last they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us perish because of this man's life, and do not hold us responsible for innocent blood, because you, LORD, have done what pleased you."

So I told myself, "I have been driven away from you. How will I again gaze on your holy Temple?'

Those who cling to vain idols leave behind the gracious love that could have been theirs.

But as for me, with a voice of thanksgiving I will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance is the LORD's!"

Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?"

"Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! When morning's light comes, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so.

Lately my people have acted like an enemy you strip travelers who thought they were as secure as those who return from war.

You have evicted the wives of my people from their dream homes; you have removed my majesty from their children permanently.

"You will have nights without visions, and darkness without prophecy. The sun will set on the prophets, and the day will darken for them.

"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame; and I will gather those whom I have scattered, along with those whom I have afflicted.

"Now many nations have gathered against you, saying, "Let her be defiled,' and "Let's look down on Zion.'

"My people, what have I done to you, and how have I offended you? Answer me!

You'll eat, but you won't have enough; and hunger will be common among you. You'll horde things, but you won't save them, and what you preserve I'll give over to the sword.

You'll plant, but you won't reap. You'll crush the olive harvest, but you'll have no oil to anoint yourself. You'll tread out the grapes, but you'll never drink wine.

The faithful have died off, and there is not one upright human being in the land. They all stalk one another with lethal intent, a man will even hunt his own brother with a net.

I will endure the LORD's anger since I have sinned against him until he takes over my defense, administers justice on my behalf, and brings me out to the light, where I will gaze on his righteousness.

This is what the LORD says: "No matter how strong they are, and no matter how numerous, they will surely be annihilated and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will do so no more.

For the LORD will restore the glory of Jacob, just as he will restore the glory of Israel, although plunderers have devastated them, vandalizing their vine branches.

"Haven't you existed forever, LORD my God, my Holy One? We won't die! LORD, you've prepared them for judgment; Rock, you've sentenced them to correction.

"You have fashioned mankind like fish in the ocean, like creeping things that have no ruler.

"Notice their arrogance they have no inward uprightness but the righteous will live by their faith.

You have brought shame to yourself by killing many people you are forfeiting your own life.

"And I'll bring so much distress to people that they will walk around like the blind. Because they have sinned against the LORD, their blood will be poured out like dust and their intestines will spill out like manure.

This they will have in lieu of their pride, because they have insulted and mocked the people of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

Its prophets are arrogant and treacherous. Its priests have contaminated the sanctuary. They give perverse interpretations of the Law.

"I have destroyed nations their fortifications are deserted. I have turned their main thoroughfares into wastelands where no one will travel. Their cities are desolate; as a result, not one man remains no, not even a single resident.

I have said, "If only you would fear me, if only you would take my instructions to heart.' Then their houses would not have been torn down. I have chastened them, but they were eager to corrupt everything they were doing."

When this happens, you will not be ashamed of your actions by which you sinned against me, because I will remove from among you those who revel in pride. Arrogance will have no place in my holy mountain.

"Watch how I deal with everyone who oppresses you! At that time I will rescue the one who is lame, and I will draw to me the one who has been driven away. I will honor them with praise and with a good reputation in every land where they have been put to shame.

You have sowed much but have reaped little. You have eaten but don't have enough to become satisfied. You have drunk but don't have enough to become intoxicated. You have clothed yourself but don't have enough to keep warm. And the hired laborer deposits his salary in a bag full of holes!'"

On that day,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, "and I will set you in place like a signet ring. For I have chosen you,' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies."

Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth and look! the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful."

And the angel of the LORD replied, "LORD of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?"

Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, "Announce this: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion.

"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassionate intentions. My Temple will be rebuilt there," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem."'"

I asked the angel who was talking to me, "What are those?" So he answered me, "Those are the forces that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Then I asked, "What have they come to do?" He answered, "Those horns that dispersed Judah so that no one could lift up his head those artisans are coming to disrupt the power of nations, tearing them down now that they've come to power and dispersed the land of Judah."

""Come now! Come now! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the LORD, "for I have dispersed you like the four winds of heaven,' declares the LORD.

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "If you will live according to my ways, and if you will keep what I have entrusted to you, then you will also administer my Temple, and you will also guard my courtyards. And I will give you access to these who serve here.

So I said, "I have been watching and look! there is a menorah made completely of gold with a bowl on top of it. And there are seven lights on it, along with seven feeder channels to the lamps, which are also on top of it. Two olive trees are near it, one on the right side of the bowl and one on the left."

"Zerubbabel's hands have laid the foundation of this Temple, and his hands will finish it, so that you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to all of you.

Then he called to me, "Look! The horses that went north have caused my spirit to rest in the north country."

and to speak to the priests assigned to the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies along with the prophets, asking, "Am I to go about mourning, denying myself throughout the fifth month, as I have these many years?"

"I will scatter them to all of the nations, which they have not known.'" Now the earth was left desolate after them. As a result, no one came or went because they had turned a pleasant land into a desert.

so I have decided at this time to do good things for Jerusalem and for the house of Judah. So stop being afraid.