Says the Lord GOD/I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken. See 8.9-10. Here the indication of speaker covers the whole subsection, verses 11-14.

Behold. See 2.13.

The days are coming/The time is coming. See 8.3. Here the expression has days instead of day; but the meaning of “the time of God’s judgment/punishment” is the same.

When I will send a famine on the land/when I will send famine on the land. I will send always refers to the LORD causing a disaster. Often a word meaning “cause” can be used instead: “I will make/cause a famine” or “I will cause hunger to fall on/enter the land,” etc.

On the land may have to be translated “in the country” or “among the people.”

Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water/People will be hungry, but not for bread; they will be thirsty, but not for water. It may not always be necessary to break up the Hebrew sentence into a number of shorter sentences as has been done in Good News Translation. In some languages a sentence closer to Revised Standard Version would be more effective. This would be especially true when a word can be used which means both “hunger” and “need.” If hunger for food and thirst for water are not suitable metaphors for the lack of a message from God, it may be necessary to strengthen the picture by using a word for “lack” here and in the rest of the verse: “not a lack of bread or water, but a lack of a message from me.”

Bread. If “bread” is not the basic food, a general word meaning “food” should be used or else the word for the most important food, like “rice” or “yams.”

But of hearing the words of the LORD/They will hunger and thirst for a message from the LORD. Since the LORD is speaking, it may be best to translate “my message” or “a message from me, the LORD.”

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan & Smalley, William A. A Handbook on Amos. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1979. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .