Amos 1:1-8

These are the words of Amos, one of the shepherds from the town of Tekoa. He saw this vision about Israel two years before the earthquake. It was at the time Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. Amos said, “The LORD will roar from Jerusalem; he will send his voice from Jerusalem. The pastures of the shepherds will become dry, and even the top of Mount Carmel will dry up.” This is what the LORD says: “For the many crimes of Damascus, I will punish them. They drove over the people of Gilead with threshing boards that had iron teeth. So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael that will destroy the strong towers of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the bar of the gate to Damascus and destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven, as well as the leader of Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be taken captive to the country of Kir,” says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: “For the many crimes of Gaza, I will punish them. They sold all the people of one area as slaves to Edom. So I will send a fire on the walls of Gaza that will destroy the city’s strong buildings. I will destroy the king of the city of Ashdod, as well as the leader of Ashkelon. Then I will turn against the people of the city of Ekron, and the last of the Philistines will die,” says the Lord GOD.