SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 2020

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 2:11

2:11a I raised up prophets from your sons

And I appointed some of your children as prophets
-or-
And I chose some of your (plur.) children as people who speak for God.

2:11b and Nazirites from your young men.

and some of your young men as Nazirites.
-or-

⌊I also chose⌋ some of your (plur.) young men as people separated for God with special vows.

2:11c Is this not true, O children of Israel?”

Can you deny this, O people of Israel?”
-or-
You people of Israel certainly know that what I have said is true!”

2:11d declares the LORD.

says Yahweh.
-or-
Yahweh is saying.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 4:12

4:12a “Therefore, that is what I will do to you, O Israel,

“So now I will punish you (plur.), ⌊O people of⌋ Israel.
-or-
“You (plur.) ⌊are my special/chosen people⌋ Israel. But ⌊because you (plur.) rejected me⌋ I will do the things ⌊I have said I will do⌋ to you (plur.).

4:12b and since I will do this to you,

And because I will punish you (plur.), ⌊O people of⌋ Israel,
-or-
Therefore, ⌊my people⌋ Israel,

4:12c prepare to meet your God, O Israel!

prepare (plur.) to meet ⌊me, for I am⌋ the/your (plur.) God ⌊who will judge you (plur.) ⌋ .”
-or-
you (plur.) must get yourselves ready ⌊because I will judge/punish you (plur.) ⌋ .”

4:12a–c (reordered)

“So now, because I will punish you (plur.), prepare to be judged by me, ⌊O people of⌋ Israel.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 6:4

6:4a You lie on beds inlaid with ivory,

You (plur.) ⌊leaders⌋ lie on beds decorated with elephant tusks
-or-
You ⌊leaders⌋ lie ⌊to eat⌋ on expensive beds.

6:4b and lounge upon your couches.

and ⌊you (plur.) ⌋ stretch ⌊like lazy people⌋ on your ⌊soft⌋ couches.
-or-
And ⌊you also⌋ spread ⌊yourselves in a lazy way⌋ on your ⌊expensive⌋ seats.

6:4c You dine on Lamentationsbs from the flock and calves from the stall.

You (plur.) eat the soft meat of lambs and calves made fat.
-or-
You ⌊leaders⌋ eat the ⌊soft meat of⌋ young sheep and of fat young cows.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 8:5

8:5a asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain?

You say ⌊to yourselves⌋ , “When will the new moon festival be over, so that we (excl.) can sell our grain?
-or-
You ⌊merchants⌋ say, “We (excl.) can hardly wait for the feast of the new moon to end, so that we may ⌊open our storehouses⌋ in order to sell our wheat.

8:5b When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat?

And ⌊when will⌋ the Sabbath end, so that we (excl.) can start selling wheat?
-or-

⌊When will⌋ the rest day end, so that we may start selling again?

8:5a–b (combined)

You (plur.) say ⌊to yourselves⌋ , “When will the new moon festival and the Sabbath be over, and we (excl.) can sell our grain and wheat ⌊again⌋ ?

8:5c Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.

⌊We (excl.) will⌋ use small measures and charge a high price and cheat people using dishonest measurements.
-or-

⌊We will⌋ raise the price but make the measures small and steal our customers’ ⌊money⌋ by using false scales.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 1:5

1:5a I will break down the gates of Damascus;

I will break down ⌊the iron bar⌋ of the gate of Damascus.
-or-
I will smash the door ⌊of the protective walls⌋ of Damascus.

1:5b I will cut off the ruler of the Valley of Aven

I will cut off the ruler from the valley of Aven,
-or-
I will kill the person who rules in the valley of Aven,

1:5c and the one who wields the scepter in Beth-eden.

and ⌊I will kill⌋ the one who is king in Beth Eden.
-or-
and ⌊I will also remove⌋ the person who rules in Beth Eden.

1:5d The people of Aram will be exiled to Kir,”

The people of Aram will go as captives/prisoners, to another country,”
-or-

⌊Enemies⌋ will defeat and take away the people of Aram to another country.”

1:5e says the LORD.

Yahweh declares.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 3:6

3:6a If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble?

When ⌊people blow⌋ a trumpet in a city, will not the people be afraid? ⌊Yes!⌋
-or-
The people will be afraid when ⌊someone blows a war⌋ trumpet in the city.

3:6b If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?

If people in a city suffer disaster has not Yahweh surely caused it? ⌊Yes!⌋
-or-
If soldiers come and destroy a city, it is surely Yahweh who has made it happen.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 5:10

5:10a There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate

There are some people who hate a fair judge in court,
-or-
Some of you (plur.) hate anyone who judges legal cases fairly.

5:10b and despise him who speaks with integrity.

and ⌊they⌋ also hate an honest witness.
-or-

⌊You (plur.) ⌋ despise anyone who tells the truth.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 7:1

Section 7:1–9

Yahweh promised war to come against Israel

7:1a This is what the Lord GOD showed me:

This is what the Lord Yahweh showed to me.
-or-
⌊Amos continued to speak:⌋ These are the things that the Lord Yahweh revealed to me ⌊in a vision⌋ .

7:1b He was preparing swarms of locusts

(Revised Standard Version) behold, He was preparing swarms of locusts

Look! He was forming big groups of large grasshoppers
-or-
I saw Yahweh creating large groups of ⌊large insects called⌋ locusts.

7:1c just after the king’s harvest,

after the king’s share of the hay/grain was harvested.
-or-

⌊I saw this happen after the farmers⌋ cut/harvested the grass/crops of the king.

7:1d as the late spring crop was coming up.

This was just about when the late crops began to spring up.
-or-
It was also when the new young crops/grass started to grow again.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 2020