Woe to/How terrible. See 5.7 and 5.18. In many languages it would be better to translate this verse with more than one sentence. Woe to may then have to be repeated in the beginning of the second sentence: “woe to you great men….”
The mention of Zion creates certain problems of interpretation which are dealt with at length in the commentaries (see also 1.2). However, these questions have nothing to do with translation.
On the mountain of Samaria/in Samaria. See 4.1. The particular geographical position of Samaria is not important here, so a translation like in Samaria or “in the town of Samaria” is all right.
At ease … feel secure/have such an easy life … feel safe. The same two Hebrew expressions occur as a pair in Isa 32.9-18 also. Their meanings overlap to a great extent and can be translated as “at ease/careless” and “secure/untroubled.” Possible translations are “to live in peace” and “to rest quietly.” “Peace” in this context means “peace of mind” and many languages may have expressions like “to sit down in one’s heart,” “to have a song in the body,” “to be cool,” “to have a stomach which is smoothed,” etc.
The notable (Hebrew: distinguished, prominent) men of the first of the nations/great men of this great nation Israel. First does not mean first in time, as has been wrongly suggested in some English translations (Moffatt: “leaders of this most ancient race”; New American Bible: “Leaders of a nation favored from the first”). In most languages the translator can restructure much as in Good News Translation.
To whom the house of Israel come (Hebrew: and they come to them the house of Israel)/you to whom the people go for help. The Hebrew raises questions which are difficult to answer. Who comes to whom and why? Is house of Israel coming? Is it an explanation of “them,” or is Amos speaking to the house of Israel? Does “them” refer back to the leaders or to the nations? Why do they—whoever they are—come? For help, for judgment, to honor? Traditionally, the text has been understood to mean that the people of Israel come to their leaders for help (so Smith-Goodspeed, New English Bible: “resort”; New American Bible: “have recourse”; Good News Translation: go for help). The translation should therefore follow the solution of the Good News Translation. However, for “go” or “come” the translator should use what is natural for the language. The Hebrew verb can be understood to mean “come again and again” and some languages should perhaps express this idea of repetition: “keep going/coming,” “come/go again and again.”
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 .