Amos

When people intentionally, without compassion, repeatedly hurt each other, God will not let it continue forever. He warns; He applies mild, corrective punishments; He is patient; but eventually, He will put a stop to the abuse.

The nation of Israel started with great promise. After being freed from slavery, they joined in a covenant with God, committed to following His laws and living rightly. But they quickly and repeatedly turned to evil ways. They occasionally repented and made good, but soon forgot and returned to selfish, abusive lifestyles. This pattern continued for centuries.

The religious leaders were false, leading their people away from God and right living. So God spoke to a simple but faithful farmer named Amos, sending him far from his home in southern Judah to speak to Israel.

Part One – Judgments Against Nations

The first part of Amos’s prophecy is a series of seven poems, each describing the offenses of a nearby nation, and declaring God’s coming judgment.

“The Lord roars from Zion,
And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;
And the shepherds’ pasture grounds mourn,
And the summit of Carmel dries up.”

– Amos 1:2b

Hebrew poems did not have rhyme and meter like many English-language poems. Instead, the ideas rhymed; repeated statements, saying the same thing in different words. And the meter was that of verses having the same structure as each other.

Each of Amos’s recitations follows the poetic form

“For three offenses of so-and-so, and for four,”
God will punish;
and he then lists an offense or two,
followed by the form God’s judgment will take.

Judgment Against Damascus

To Israel’s northeast, neighboring Syria, with her capital at Damascus, had been a frequent source of pain. Though friendly to Israel in King David’s day, Syria had harassed them in recent times, invading Israel’s Gilead territory, east of the Jordan River.

The several kings from the Ben-hadad and Hazael families had been especially ruthless. After defeating Israel in one battle, they executed nearly all the captured soldiers and destroyed all their weapons, crushing the weapons (and perhaps the soldiers’ bodies) making them “like the dust at threshing”¹, invoking Amos’ “threshed with iron sledges” metaphor below.

In another battle, they not only killed soldiers, but exterminated civilian survivors².

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Damascus, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they threshed Gilead with iron sledges.
So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael,
And it will consume the citadels of Ben-hadad.
I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,
And eliminate every inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden;
So the people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,”
Says the Lord.

– Amos 1:3-5

Judgment Against Gaza

The Philistines, Israel’s neighbor to the southwest, had invaded and harassed Israel constantly during their history, from the time of Moses and Joshua³ up through the days of King David (remember that Goliath was a Philistine). They were subdued in David and Solomon’s time, but became aggressive again in later years.

Then in the days of King Jehoram, Philistines had invaded Jerusalem and kidnapped, among others, the king’s wives and sons to be sold into slavery⁴. It was this offense that Amos mentions.

One of the 5 capital cities of the Philistine nation to Israel’s southwest, Gaza had become a symbol of the whole; hence, Gaza rather than Philistia is named in the judgment. Amos includes 3 other Philistine capitals in his prophecy (Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Ekron; the remaining capital, Gath, was no longer a threat in Amos’ day, having been conquered by foreigners⁵ and later completely dismantled⁶.)

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Gaza, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they led into exile an entire population
To turn them over to Edom.
So I will send fire on the wall of Gaza
And it will consume her citadels.
I will also eliminate every inhabitant from Ashdod,
As well as him who holds the scepter, from Ashkelon;
And I will direct My power against Ekron,
And the remnant of the Philistines will perish,”
Says the Lord God.

– Amos 1:6-8

Judgment Against Tyre

The city of Tyre, in Lebanon near Israel’s northern border, had been on friendly terms with Israel ever since Kings David and Solomon negotiated treaties with them.

But in later times, Tyre conducted slave raids into Israel⁷, selling their victims to Israel’s frequent enemy, Edom.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Tyre, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they turned an entire population over to Edom
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
So I will send fire on the wall of Tyre,
And it will consume her citadels.”

– Amos 1:9-10

Judgment Against Edom

Israel and Edom were brother nations, descended from ancestors who were brothers: Jacob and Esau.

But it was not a good brotherhood. They were often in conflict, and sometimes bitterly so. Way back in Moses’ day, Edom refused to associate with Israel⁸. Another prophet, Obadiah, had castigated Edom because, when Israel was invaded and conquered, Edom, rather than help brother Israel, helped their oppressors⁹. Edom also conducted slave raids against Israel¹⁰.

For this unmitigated opposition, God promised to judge the nation of Edom.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Edom, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he pursued his brother with the sword
And stifled his compassion;
His anger also tore continually,
And he maintained his fury forever.
So I will send fire upon Teman
And it will consume the citadels of Bozrah.”

– Amos 1:11-12

Judgment Against Ammon

The Ammonites, Israel’s neighbor to the east, were in conflict with Israel almost constantly through the centuries.

During Israel’s conquest of Canaan, God forbade them from invading Ammon¹¹. But by Israel’s era of judges, Ammon no longer reciprocated the border peace¹².

It seems the Ammonites employed the common middle-eastern practice¹³ of exterminating civilian populations of the lands they invaded.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of the sons of Ammon, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead
In order to enlarge their borders.
So I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah,
And it will consume her citadels
Amid war cries on the day of battle,
And amid a storm on the day of tempest.
Their king will go into exile,
He and his princes together,” says the Lord.

– Amos 1:13-15

Judgment Against Moab

Moab, wedged between Edom to the south and Israel to the north, seemed to be hostile to everyone they met. Nearly every Bible reference reflects animosity.

The specific offense Amos cites – desecrating an enemy king’s grave and body – is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible or in history, but it must have been common knowledge in his day.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Moab, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid the panic of battle,
Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
I will also eliminate the judge from her midst
And slay all her leaders with him,” says the Lord.

– Amos 2:1-3

Judgment Against Judah

The first 5 judgments were against neighboring nations, but this one strikes closer to home. Long ago Israel had split into 2 nations, called Israel and Judah. Amos was from Judah but was preaching in Israel, so this poem speaks against the listeners’ brother nation.

Little elaboration on Amos’ accusation is needed. From the time God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt, right up until Amos’ day and beyond, their history alternates between times of faithfulness to their covenant with God and times of increasing evil behavior.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their lies also have led them astray,
Those which their fathers followed.
So I will send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”

– Amos 2:4-5

Amos’ judgment against Judah took place many years later, when Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem, destroyed the city, and took its inhabitants hundreds of miles away captive, subjects to that strange foreign power.

Judgment Against Israel

Amos saves his longest and most poignant judgment for the people among whom he was issuing his prophecy: Israel.

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they sell the righteous for money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
These who trample the head of the helpless to the dust of the earth
Also divert the way of the humble;

– Amos 2:6-7a

Treating neighbors as expendable in the pursuit of one’s ambitions was considered normal in Israel’s more corrupt times. In one example, Israel’s King Ahab framed an innocent citizen of a capital crime so he could seize his garden¹⁴.

Sexual crimes were rampant in Israel. God had forbidden sexual abuse, and specifically one sort of incest commonly practiced¹⁵.

“And a man and his father resort to the same girl
So as to profane My holy name.”

– Amos 2:7b

People in distress might need to borrow, and their lending neighbors might demand as collateral items the borrower could not part with and survive; clothing, very expensive in those days, was a common example. The law didn’t allow the lender to keep the clothing, endangering the borrower’s life or health, even if the borrower failed to repay promptly¹⁶. But …

“And on garments seized as pledges they stretch out beside every altar,
And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.”

– Amos 2:8

The people might feel no obligation to follow the covenant their ancestors made with God. God reminds them their happy lot in life resulted from His actions on their behalf; and so yes, they are obligated.

“Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
Though his height was like the height of cedars
And he was as strong as the oaks;
I also destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.
And it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And led you in the wilderness for forty years
So that you might take possession of the land of the Amorite.”

– Amos 2:9-10

God had raised prophets to denounce and call them to renew the covenant. But refusing to hear, they intimidated the prophets into silence.

Once particular type of prophet was the Nazirite. In addition to speaking for God, the Nazirite pledged various vows, including not cutting their hair (remember Samson?) and not drinking wine. But those committed to their sinful ways sullied those vows.

“Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
And some of your young men to be Nazirites.
Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
“But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’”

– Amos 2:11-12

God promises judgment against Israel will be uncompromising.

“Behold, I am making a rut in the ground beneath you,
Just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.
Refuge will be lost from the swift,
And the strong will not strengthen his power,
Nor the warrior save his life.
The one who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will the one who rides the horse save his life.
Even the bravest among the warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.

– Amos 2:13-16

Part Two – Guilt and the Call to Repentance

Amos introduces this section by declaring God will punish the nation’s evil practices, because they rejected the very privileged position in which God had placed them.

Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt:
“You only have I known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your wrongdoing.”

– Amos 3:1-2

A series of metaphors of things well-known to Amos’ people lead them to realize that when judgment comes, it is no accident.

Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something?
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no [bait] in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
If a trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble?
If a disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?

– Amos 3:3-6

When judgment is coming, God announces it in advance through his prophets, giving the people time to react and avoid disaster. Amos, who is being harassed by his unwilling hearers, might prefer not to speak up, but he can’t ignore God.

Certainly the Lord God does nothing
Unless He reveals His secret plan
To His servants the prophets.
A lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken! Who can do anything but prophesy?

– Amos 3:7-8

In the Israelite town of Bethel, a temple of idol worship had been built centuries ago. Idol worship was not innocent; the worshipers were required to perform evil acts. God was going to put an end to Bethel.

“For on the day that I punish Israel’s offenses,
I will also punish the altars of Bethel;
The horns of the altar will be cut off,
And will fall to the ground.”

– Amos 3:14

Royalty in Israel’s capital of Samaria required their family members to provide luxury, at the expense of those they exploited.

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who exploit the poor, who oppress the needy,
And say to their husbands, “Bring now, that we may drink!”

– Amos 4:1

But God will put a stop to the abuse.

The Lord God has sworn by His holiness,
“For behold, the days are coming upon you
When they will take you away with meat hooks,
And the last of you with fish hooks.
You will go out through holes in the walls,
One in front of the other,
And you will be hurled to Harmon,” declares the Lord.

– Amos 4:2-3

God has sent lesser judgments, giving people an opportunity to repent. But they refused.

“But I gave you also cleanness of teeth [i.e., hunger] in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.
“Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city,
But on another city I would not send rain;
One part would be rained on,
While the part not rained on would dry up.
So the people of two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water,
But would not be satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.

– Amos 4:6-8

In view of their consistent refusal, a more severe and unavoidable judgment is coming.

“Therefore so I will do to you, Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, Israel.”

– Amos 4:12

But the judgment is avoidable after all – if only the people will stop their evil ways.

We mentioned Bethel earlier, as a place of evil religious practice. Gilgal was similar. Beersheba was also a place where religious leaders took bribes to pervert justice¹⁷.

For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:
“Seek Me so that you may live.
But do not resort to Bethel
And do not come to Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will come to nothing.
Seek the Lord so that you may live”

– Amos 5:4-6a

Justice in Israel was only for those who could afford bribes. The corruption was plainly visible, but no one had the courage to speak up about it.

For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great,
You who are hostile to the righteous and accept bribes,
And turn away the poor from justice at the gate.
Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps quiet, because it is an evil time.

– Amos 5:12-13

Still, God invites repentance and promises to be with those few who remain faithful.

Seek good and not evil¹⁸, so that you may live;
And so may the Lord God of armies be with you,
Just as you have said!
Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the Lord God of armies
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph [a tribe in Israel].

– Amos 5:14-15

These were troubled times in Israel. They had long expected God to come and rescue them. But because of their sin, God’s coming would not be a rescue; He would come with their punishment.

Woe to you who are longing for the day of the Lord,
For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?
It will be darkness and not light;
As when a man flees from a lion
And a bear confronts him,
Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall,
And a snake bites him.
Will the day of the Lord not be darkness instead of light,
Even gloom with no brightness in it?

– Amos 5:18-20

These people were deeply religious. But their religion was for some false reason. It did not purify their hearts or their behavior. And God rejected it.

“I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.
Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.”

– Amos 5:21-23

What does God want instead?

“But let justice roll out like waters,
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

– Amos 5:24

During their 40 years in the wilderness, the people of Israel worshiped God, but half-heartedly. They also kept their idols and their precious sins.

“Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel? You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus¹⁹,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.

– Amos 5:25-27

Because of injustice, horrible times are coming.

Woe to those who are carefree in Zion [a district in Jerusalem],
And to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria

– Amos 6:1a

God has judged others. We may not recognize these cities, but Israel knew them well. If God judged them, He is able to judge Israel too.

Go over to Calneh and look,
And go from there to Hamath the great,
Then go down to Gath of the Philistines.
Are they better than these kingdoms,
Or is their territory greater than yours?
Are you postponing the day of disaster,
And would you bring near the seat of violence?

– Amos 6:2-3

Israel lived in luxury now, but they would soon be taken prisoner.

Therefore, they will now go into exile at the head of the exiles,
And the revelry of those who lounge around will come to an end.
The Lord God has sworn by Himself, the Lord God of armies has declared:
“I loathe the arrogance of Jacob,
And detest his citadels;
Therefore I will give up the city and all it contains.”

– Amos 6:7-8

In that day of disaster, pockets of survivors would live in fear, lest God’s judgment extend its reach and take them too.

And it will be, if ten men are left in one house, they will die. Then one’s uncle, or his undertaker, will lift him up to carry out his bones from the house, and he will say to the one who is in the innermost part of the house, “Is anyone else with you?” And that one will say, “No one.” Then he will answer, “Keep quiet! For the name of the Lord is not to be mentioned.” For behold, the Lord is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces, and the small house to rubble. – Amos 6:9-11

Part Three – Visions

Amos ends his book with 3 visions that foretell the coming judgment.

First Vision – Judgment Is Unavoidable

The first vision has 3 segments, in which God shows Amos a coming judgment. Amos believes his already weak nation cannot survive the judgment.

This is what the Lord God showed me, and behold, He was forming a swarm of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing.

– Amos 7:1

Locust swarms were legendary in their destruction to agriculture. Such a swarm was 1 of the 10 plagues God had placed on Egypt long ago, forcing them to free their slaves.

But Amos begged God not to judge so severely.

And it came about [in Amos’ vision], when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,
“Lord God, please pardon!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
The Lord relented of this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.

– Amos 7:2-3

Then the second segment of the vision.

So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farmland. – Amos 7:4

Fire’s destructive power is known to everyone. Again, Amos asked God to relent. And again, He did.

Then I said,
“Lord God, please stop!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
The Lord relented of this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

– Amos 7:5-6

But God will not stand by forever while people abuse each other.

So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.

– Amos 7:7

A plumb line was the ancient equivalent of a carpenter’s level, to assure a building was square; if not, the building must be corrected or destroyed.

Such a line was sometimes used in ancient times to separate a group of prisoners into those who would be executed and those who would be allowed to live²⁰.

God used the plumb line as a symbol that His judgment would not wait forever.

And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold I am about to put a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will not spare them any longer.
The high places [hilltop shrines of idol worship] of Isaac [one of Israel’s founding ancestors] will become deserted,
And the sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I will rise up against the house of [Israel’s King] Jeroboam with the sword.”

– Amos 7:8-9

Amos Accused

Amos had been speaking his prophecies at the Israelite town of Bethel, where there was a shrine to the golden calf cult, which Israel’s King Jeroboam frequented.

But Amos was a foreigner here. He was from the town of Tekoa, on the far side of his homeland, Judah.

Besides that, Amos not only accused people of wrongdoing; he also forecast military doom. This could hurt morale, and might be considered sabotage. Folks at Bethel didn’t like it.

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” – Amos 7:10-11

After reporting him to the authorities, the priest ordered Amos to return home. He implied Amos had come to Israel because a prophet could get better wages in Israel than in Judah.

Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you [prophet], flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! But do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.” – Amos 7:12-13

But Amos was not a professional prophet or clergyman. He was from a farming family, until God called him away from the family farm. He wasn’t here seeking his fortune; he was obeying God’s direct orders.

Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’” – Amos 7:14-15

Because of the priest’s rebellion, God had a specific message for him. This prophecy would be fulfilled when the Assyrian army conquered Israel not long after, during their own lifetime.

So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die upon unclean [i.e., foreign] soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” – Amos 7:16-17

Second Vision – A Basket of Summer Fruit

When fruit is ripe, it must be harvested, or else be lost.

This is what the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. And He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer. The songs of the palace will turn to wailing on that day,” declares the Lord God. “The corpses will be many; in every place they will throw them out. Hush!” – Amos 8:1-3

Why was God determined to judge His people?

They could hardly wait for their religious obligation to end so they could go back to cheating each other.

Hear this, you who trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land, saying,
“When will the new moon [religious observance] be over,
So that we may sell grain;
And the Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market [which closed on the Sabbath],
To make the ephah [a measuring cup] smaller and the shekel [a unit of money] bigger,
And to cheat with dishonest scales,
So as to buy the helpless for money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals,
And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

– Amos 8:4-6

In addition to the invasion already mentioned several times, God now turns to an even greater threat: He Himself will no longer listen to His people.

In Old Testament times people could, with proper ceremony, ask God as question and He would answer. But because of persistent sin, He was going to stop answering.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.
People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will roam about to seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it.”

– Amos 8:11-12

Third Vision – Destruction

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,
“Strike the pillar [tops] so that the thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will put to death the rest of them with the sword;
They will not have a fugitive who will flee,
Nor a survivor who will escape.”

– Amos 9:1

People might try to escape, but they will not escape.

“Though they dig into Sheol,
From there My hand will take them;
And though they ascend to heaven,
From there I will bring them down.
And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
I will track them down and take them from there;
And though they hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
I will command the serpent from there, and it will bite them.
And though they go into captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,
And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”

– Amos 9:2-4

Eventual Restoration

But in spite of God’s unstoppable punishment, He will keep faith with His people.

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom [Israel],
And I will eliminate it from the face of the earth;
Nevertheless, I will not totally eliminate the house of Jacob [i.e., Israel],”
Declares the Lord.

– Amos 9:8

Because a day is coming when God will return His people to the promised land.

“On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter [i.e., house, or family] of David,
And wall up its gaps;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the days of old”;
So that they may possess the remnant of Edom
And all the nations who are called by My name²¹,”
Declares the Lord who does this.

– Amos 9:11-12

Prosperity will return in such a big way they will not be able to take advantage of it all.

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the plowman will overtake the reaper,
And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
When the mountains will drip grape juice,
And all the hills will come apart.
I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
And they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will also plant them on their land,
And they will not be uprooted again from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.

– Amos 9:13-15

Epilogue

Within mere decades, God’s judgment came. The Assyrian Empire, legendary among the brutal for its overdone brutality, invaded. They destroyed the capital city, Samaria, and then exiled the entire population to other lands they had conquered.