Behold/And now. In Hebrew this is an expression which calls attention to something and often begins a strong final or climactic statement. Behold, of course, is not modern English, while and now is too weak, particularly with no paragraph break in the Good News Translation. A paragraph break and “so then” might be better in English here. The equivalent in many languages is more like the literal Hebrew.

I will press you down (Hebrew: meaning of word uncertain) in your place as a cart full of sheaves presses down/I will crush you to the ground, and you will groan like a cart loaded with grain. The key word in this verse is not clear in Hebrew. Discounting suggestions to change the text, six different meanings have been proposed:
(1) I will crush you (press you down) (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Bible).
(2) I will make it groan under you (so with slight variants Smith-Goodspeed, The Translator’s Old Testament [alternative reading]; compare New English Bible).
(3) I will split (the earth) under you.
(4) I will bring you to a halt (The Translator’s Old Testament).
(5) I will make it shake (Zürcher Bibel [Zürcher Bibel]).
(6) I make your steps collapse (Moffatt).

Until more convincing evidence turns up it is not possible to say that any one of these is absolutely correct. Nevertheless, a choice has to be made, and it seems wise to choose one of the first three translations. All three carry the thought of a catastrophe, and this is exactly what one expects to find on the basis of the punishment we expect here. Also, a cart loaded with grain indicates “harvest,” which is often a Hebrew picture of God’s judgment.

The balanced organization of the Hebrew lines probably gives more weight to meaning (2), since this part of the balanced system has to do with Israel’s weakness without God (Appendix). If this meaning is followed, some kind of clear statement will be needed such as “(when I punish you) you will groan (with weakness) as a cart overloaded with grain groans.” In some languages, of course, the same word cannot be used for the pain of something alive and the sound of a cart, which may weaken the picture somewhat: “… you will groan … as a cart … squeaks/creaks.”

The word for cart should stand for any type of vehicle without motor and capable of carrying grain. It is often easier to say that the cart is loaded/overloaded with grain than to say that it is full of sheaves.

In Hebrew the focus is on the weight. Every language has its own ways of indicating that the cart is “overloaded.” It is not enough, however, to translate simply “a full load” (New English Bible), omitting the grain which represents harvest and judgment.

If translation (1) is chosen, the first part of Good News Translation can be followed: I will crush you to the ground “the way a cart full of grain is loaded down (or: is overloaded).”

Good News Translation, however, combines translations (1) and (2), using (1) for the first part and (2) for the second part of the verse, which is rather doubtful.

Translation (3) is a difficult picture to translate: “I will split the earth under you as a cart loaded with grain splits the earth,” as it is not clear what meaning this picture would have in the context.

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 .

Hear this word which I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel/Listen, people of Israel, to this funeral song which I sing over you:

Hear this word/Listen. As in other places in Amos, this expression begins a concluding section (Appendix, Section 1.21). In this case it would be well to indicate that fact with the use of a word like “so.”

House of Israel shows to whom the message is being spoken, and in many languages it is natural to put such an expression at the beginning, or at least near the beginning, of the sentence, like Good News Translation. In addition, a picture such as house of Israel will often be clear only in a translation such as people of Israel.

Since the LORD starts to speak in verse 3, Amos is the speaker of verses 1 and 2. In some languages this should be shown by translating “which I, Amos, sing over you” or by introducing the whole sentence with “Amos said”: or “Amos continued, saying,” or “Amos spoke again.”

The translation may also need to show that the funeral song is Amos’ message by saying, for example, “this, my funeral song.”

The funeral song or “mourning song” was the chief funeral ceremony in Israel. It was a poem of grief on the death of a kinsman, friend or leader. In Amos this kind of song for an individual is changed into one for the people of Israel as a whole, so it becomes a political mourning song. The “dead” over whom Amos sings his song are the living people to whom Amos is speaking. In this way they listen to the announcement of their own death.

Funeral customs differ, and the idea of a “song” in connection with a funeral is entirely strange in some cultures. It may even be contradictory because songs are associated with joy or work or play, but not with death. In such cases the translation should have something like “Listen to what I say in mourning over your death.” There may be some kind of specific term which would be usable. If there are poems or speeches recited or composed rather than sung, adaptation should be made along that line.

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 .

Therefore they shall now be the first (Hebrew: at the head) of those to go into exile/So you will be the first to go into exile. In many languages the Hebrew picture would be good: “you will be at the head/front of those who are taken away as captives.”

Exile. See 1.15.

Therefore … now/So. The Hebrew word normally translated “now” does not seem to refer to time here. The meaning is that of so.

First. This word is similar to the Hebrew word as in verse 1: first of the nations. Now they have become “first of the exiles.” If there is any way of preserving this parallel in the translation without awkwardness or lack of clarity, it would be important to do so. However, since the meaning is different in the two cases (great in verse 1, and “at the head of the line” here), it will often not be possible.

The revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away/Your feasts and banquets will come to an end. The Hebrew word translated by Revised Standard Version (and also by New English Bible) as revelry is not completely clear. In view of the immediate context and the reference to verse 4, stretch themselves, it seems best to understand it as feast: “and the feasting of those who sprawl at ease will be ended” (The Translator’s Old Testament).

Stretch themselves. The Hebrew word here is the same as the one used in verse 4 and is repeated so that the topic of verses 1-3 (first) and the topic of verses 4-6a are mentioned again here at the conclusion of this subsection. Unlike the case of first, however, the meaning of stretch themselves is the same in both cases, and so it can be translated here exactly the same way as in verse 4. However, there may be no expression of “sprawl” which is suitable for either passages, except for such long, cumbersome expressions as “to lay down your bodies as lazy people on beds.” Although English can use one single verb, the widely differing English translations show that even there translators felt a need to handle the Hebrew word differently in the two cases. So Good News Translation uses banquets referring to the whole of the event in which the “sprawling idlers” take part. Such restructurings, however, are often not very helpful for translators in other languages, since such words as feasts and banquets frequently have no literal equivalents elsewhere. In some cases it may be best to say: “your joy, (the joy of) you who live such a good life, will end,” “your fun will be finished!”

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 .

In Hebrew this verse consists of a question to which the answer should be “Yes.” In some cases the translation can make the first half of the verse a question and the second half a positive answer to the question, perhaps introduced by “Yes.” However, in many languages questions like shall not the land tremble are unusual or extremely difficult and should often be translated as direct statements, as in Good News Translation.

On this account (Hebrew: because of this)/And so. In Hebrew the connection between this verse and verse 7 is unusual and grammatically difficult. In this context this can best be taken as referring to all of 8.4-7. It may be best to translate “because of their evil deeds,” and so…, or “that is why…,” etc.

Shall not the land tremble/the earth will quake. See 1.1. The LORD causes this to happen, and some languages should say “I will make the earth quake…”

And all of it rise like the Nile (Hebrew: the river), and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt (Hebrew: river of Egypt)?/The whole country will be shaken; it will rise and fall like the Nile River. All of it refers back to land, and so, if a new sentence begins here, it may be necessary to say “All earth” (New English Bible) or The whole country. It may also be necessary to repeat: The whole country will be shaken, “The whole country will move,” etc. “The river” and “the river of Egypt” both refer to the Nile, and should sometimes be combined: it will rise and fall like the Nile River, “rising and falling like the Nile River,” etc. Be tossed about can be kept in the translation, as in most English translations, but it can also be left out (as in Moffatt) since it probably is an addition. The idea is already included in rise and fall.

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 .

(4) I will send fire upon the city walls of Gaza and burn down its fortresses. See Amos 1.4.

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 .

The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?/When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid? When the Sovereign LORD speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message? This is the conclusion to the series of questions and the order changes to condition-consequence as in the first question of verse 6. Again, the change helps to create a sense of climax. On ways of translating so that there will be a sense of climax in the translation, see the discussion of verse 6a.

The lion of verse 4 comes back in the first half of verse 8, but the theme is different. Instead of an animal-animal relationship, the picture now is of “animal” (a picture of the Lord–man relationship—a relationship lacking until now). It prepares the reader for the final question. It is true, of course, that the lion is not identical with the LORD. So the first question should be translated keeping in mind the discussion of lion and roars in the commentary on 1.2. On the other hand, the fact that when a lion roars and when the Sovereign LORD speaks are parallel, and the fact that within the book of Amos lion and roar are pictures for the Lord and his speaking, make for strong unity between the two parts of the verse.

Prophesy/proclaiming his message (see 2.12). For languages which require an indication of the speaker at the end of a major quotation, this may be one place for an expression such as “That is what Amos said,” “said Amos,” “He finished saying,” etc.

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 .

Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time/And so, keeping quiet in such evil times is the smart thing to do. This verse has presented numerous problems of interpretation. It does not fit into the context very clearly unless the reader sees it as balancing verse 10 (see 5.10-13). With the organization of verses 10-13 in mind, the prudent of verse 13 are those who reprove and speak the truth in verse 10. They are hated for what they say (verse 10), so they would be wise to keep quiet. Notice, however, that the people referred to here are not the people who are the center of attention in verses 10-12 but the ones whom they hate in verse 10. The attention of the passage has shifted. The connection could be made clearer by a translation such as “but those that you hate would be wise to keep silent (not to speak out) in such evil times.”

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 .

Thus the Lord GOD showed me: behold/I had another vision from the Sovereign LORD. See 7.1. It may be necessary to show the change of speaker, as the LORD spoke last. Since this is a second vision, it will often be better to say “showed me again in a vision,” another vision, etc.

Behold. See 7.1.

The Lord GOD was calling for a judgment by fire (Hebrew: He was calling to punish by fire, the Lord GOD, or: He was calling the fire to punish, the Lord GOD)/In it I saw him preparing to punish his people with fire. The Hebrew grammar presents problems, but the meaning is shown well in Good News Translation, except that especially in light of 1.4 and other such passages in Amos, the reader may not realize that in this context fire is a picture of the heat of the sun in the summer. The translation can be something like “The Lord GOD showed me how he caused the burning heat of the sun to punish his people.”

And it devoured the great deep/The fire burned up the great ocean under the earth. This refers to the great ocean which people of the ancient East believed lies under the earth as the source of springs and rivers. The usual translations such as “great deep” (Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, Smith-Goodspeed) or “great abyss” (New American Bible, New English Bible) are not very meaningful to modern readers. “The great ocean” (The Translator’s Old Testament) is misleading since the expression will be understood in its modern geographic sense. So a descriptive phrase like the great ocean under the earth is often the best solution. Many languages have to use a phrase for ocean like “vast extension of water.” It may be helpful to give readers a cultural note such as was included in an early edition of Good News Translation Amos: “The ancient Hebrews believed that under the earth there was a great body of water which sometimes broke through the earth’s surface.” In addition, references can be given to Gen 7.11; 49.25; Psa 36.6; Isa 51.10. In some languages neither burned up the great ocean nor devoured the great deep will make any sense. The translation may have to say “dried up.”

And was eating up the land/and started to burn up the land. This is in fact the cultivated land (Smith-Goodspeed: “plow-land”; Moffatt: “the tilled land”); many languages will have a specific term for it. If burn up the land or eating up the land is an impossible picture even in a vision like this, other possibilities may be “made the farmlands very dry” or “made the farmlands like dust.”

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 .