In that day/On that day. Good News Translation changes the order from the end of verse 16 to the beginning. It should be located where it is natural. However, this is not a way of expressing the simple idea that the events took place on the same day. That day in Amos (see also 8.3,9,13; compare: the day 3.14; the evil day 6.3) is the Day of the LORD (5.18,20) and always has a sound of danger and judgment, except in 9.11-15 where it is just the opposite. Translation should show that this is a special day, and if possible the connection between these different references to the Day of the LORD should not be hidden by the wording. A way of translating this expression meaningfully might be “the day/time when the LORD/I will act/judge/punish.”
He who is stout of heart among the mighty (Hebrew: and the strong with regard to his heart among the warriors)/even the bravest soldiers. The part of the body used to indicate strength and courage will differ from language to language.
Even rightly marks the climax reached at the end of the section. Other languages may have other ways of doing this.
Flee away naked/drop their weapons and run. Even though a literal translation flee naked is possible (Smith-Goodspeed, New American Bible, Moffatt: “shall strip”), it is better to take the expression in the sense of “leaving behind one’s weapons”: “will flee without his weapons” (The Translator’s Old Testament) or “shall be stripped of his arms” (New English Bible) or even as “he shall fling away his weapons” (Robinson).
(6) Says the LORD/The LORD has spoken. The final part giving the source of the message, is slightly different from earlier messages (1.5, 1.8, etc.) in the Hebrew. It is more emphatic and closes not only this message but all eight messages of this section of Amos. In the translation it is good to have a slightly different, slightly more emphatic expression than was used earlier. If, for example, “that is what the LORD says” was used before, then “this is the message from the LORD himself” might be good here. New English Bible has “It is the word of the LORD” in earlier verses and “This is the very word of the LORD” here. Good News Translation, which did not repeat this part each time in the earlier occurrences, now has The LORD has spoken here.
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 .