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THE MESSAGE

Amos 9:4

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God Continued...;   Judgments;   Readings, Select;   Sin;   Wicked (People);  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Destroy, Destruction;   Kill, Killing;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Amos;   Earthquake;   Remnant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Amos;   Nations;   Trade and Commerce;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Eye;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amos (1);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jeremiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And if they are drivenby their enemies into captivity,from there I will commandthe sword to kill them.I will keep my eye on themfor harm and not for good.
Hebrew Names Version
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
King James Version (1611)
And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies, thence will I commaund the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes vpon them for euill, and not for good.
King James Version
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
English Standard Version
And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good."
New American Standard Bible
"And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword and it will kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good."
New Century Version
If they are captured and taken away by their enemies, I will command the sword to kill them. I will keep watch over them, but I will keep watch to give them trouble, not to do them good."
Amplified Bible
"And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I shall command the sword to kill them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil (judgment, punishment) and not for good [that is, not for correction leading to restoration]."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies, thence wil I commande the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes vpon them for euill, and not for good.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword that it slay them, And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good."
Legacy Standard Bible
And though they go into captivity before their enemies,From there I will command the sword that it kill them,And I will set My eyes against them for evil and not for good."
Berean Standard Bible
Though they are driven by their enemies into captivity, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix My eyes upon them for harm and not for good."
Contemporary English Version
I'll send a sword to kill them, wherever their enemies drag them off as captives. I'm determined to hurt them, not to help them."
Complete Jewish Bible
If their enemies herd them into exile, I will order the sword to kill them there. I will fix my gaze on them for harm and not for good."
Darby Translation
and though they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
Easy-to-Read Version
If they are captured and taken away by their enemies, I will command the sword, and it will kill them there. Yes, I will watch over them, but I will watch for ways to give them troubles, not for ways to do good things."
George Lamsa Translation
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set my eyes upon them for evil and not for good;
Good News Translation
If they are taken away into captivity by their enemies, I will order them to be put to death. I am determined to destroy them, not to help them."
Lexham English Bible
And even if they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good."
Literal Translation
And if they go into exile before their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. And I will set My eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
American Standard Version
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
Bible in Basic English
And though they are taken away as prisoners by their attackers, even there will I give orders to the sword to put them to death: my eyes will be fixed on them for evil and not for good.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set Mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And though they go into captiuitie before their enemies, thence wil I commaunde the sworde & it shall slay them: and I will set myne eyes vpon them for euill, and not for good.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if they should go into captivity before the face of their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes against them for evil, and not for good.
English Revised Version
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
World English Bible
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it will kill them. I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if thei schulen go awei in to caitifte bifore her enemyes, there Y schal comaunde to swerd, and it schal sle hem. And Y schal putte myn iyen on hem in to yuel, and not in to good.
Update Bible Version
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set my eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
Webster's Bible Translation
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
New English Translation
Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity."
New King James Version
Though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good."
New Living Translation
Even if their enemies drive them into exile, I will command the sword to kill them there. I am determined to bring disaster upon them and not to help them."
New Life Bible
Even if they are taken away to a strange land by those who hate them, there I will have the sword kill them. I will set My eyes against them to hurt them, and not to bring good to them."
New Revised Standard
And though they go into captivity in front of their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, though they go into captivity before their enemies, from thence, will I command the sword, and it shall slay them, - So will I set mine eyes upon them for calamity, and not for blessing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall kill them. And I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
Revised Standard Version
And though they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall slay them; and I will set my eyes upon them for evil and not for good."
Young's Literal Translation
And if they go into captivity before their enemies, From thence I command the sword, And it hath slain them, And I have set Mine eye on them for evil, And not for good.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yff they go awaye before their enemies i to captyuyte, then shall I commaunde the swerde, there to slaye them. Thus wil I set myne eyes vpon them, for their harme and not for their wealth.

Contextual Overview

1I saw my Master standing beside the altar at the shrine. He said: "Hit the tops of the shrine's pillars, make the floor shake. The roof's about to fall on the heads of the people, and whoever's still alive, I'll kill. No one will get away, no runaways will make it. If they dig their way down into the underworld, I'll find them and bring them up. If they climb to the stars, I'll find them and bring them down. If they hide out at the top of Mount Carmel, I'll find them and bring them back. If they dive to the bottom of the ocean, I'll send Dragon to swallow them up. If they're captured alive by their enemies, I'll send Sword to kill them. I've made up my mind to hurt them, not help them." 5My Master, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, touches the earth, a mere touch, and it trembles. The whole world goes into mourning. Earth swells like the Nile at flood stage; then the water subsides, like the great Nile of Egypt. God builds his palace—towers soaring high in the skies, foundations set on the rock-firm earth. He calls ocean waters and they come, then he ladles them out on the earth. God , your God, does all this. 7"Do you Israelites think you're any better than the far-off Cushites?" God 's Decree. "Am I not involved with all nations? Didn't I bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor, the Arameans from Qir? But you can be sure that I, God , the Master, have my eye on the Kingdom of Sin. I'm going to wipe it off the face of the earth. Still, I won't totally destroy the family of Jacob." God 's Decree. 9"I'm still giving the orders around here. I'm throwing Israel into a sieve among all the nations and shaking them good, shaking out all the sin, all the sinners. No real grain will be lost, but all the sinners will be sifted out and thrown away, the people who say, ‘Nothing bad will ever happen in our lifetime. It won't even come close.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

go: Leviticus 26:33, Leviticus 26:36-39, Deuteronomy 28:64, Deuteronomy 28:65, Ezekiel 5:2, Ezekiel 5:12, Zechariah 13:8, Zechariah 13:9

set: Leviticus 17:10, Deuteronomy 28:63, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Psalms 34:15, Psalms 34:16, Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 44:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 44:21 - that I may Numbers 21:6 - General 1 Kings 17:4 - I have commanded Jeremiah 12:12 - the sword Jeremiah 21:10 - I have Jeremiah 39:12 - look well to him Jeremiah 51:53 - mount Ezekiel 21:9 - A sword Amos 9:8 - the eyes Zechariah 8:10 - for

Cross-References

Leviticus 3:17
The Peace-Offering "If your offering is a Peace-Offering and you present an animal from the herd, either male or female, it must be an animal without any defect. Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons, the priests, will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present all the fat that covers or is connected to the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat around them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver that is removed along with the kidneys. Aaron and his sons will burn it on the Altar along with the Whole-Burnt-Offering that is on the wood prepared for the fire: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God . "If your Peace-Offering to God comes from the flock, bring a male or female without defect. If you offer a lamb, offer it to God . Lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the Tent of Meeting. The sons of Aaron will throw its blood on all sides of the Altar. As a Fire-Gift to God from the Peace-Offering, present its fat, the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, all the fat on and connected to the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. The priest will burn it on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift to God . "If the offering is a goat, bring it into the presence of God , lay your hand on its head, and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's sons will throw the blood on all sides of the Altar. As a Fire-Gift to God present the fat that covers and is connected to the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat which is around them on the loins, and the lobe of the liver which is removed along with the kidneys. The priest will burn them on the Altar: a meal, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance. "All the fat belongs to God . This is the fixed rule down through the generations, wherever you happen to live: Don't eat the fat; don't eat the blood. None of it."
Leviticus 19:26
"Don't eat meat with blood in it. "Don't practice divination or sorcery.
Deuteronomy 12:16
But you may not eat the blood. Pour the blood out on the ground like water. Nor may you eat there the tithe of your grain, new wine, or olive oil; nor the firstborn of your herds and flocks; nor any of the Vow-Offerings that you vow; nor your Freewill-Offerings and Tribute-Offerings. All these you must eat in the Presence of God , your God, in the place God , your God, chooses—you, your son and daughter, your servant and maid, and the Levite who lives in your neighborhood. You are to celebrate in the Presence of God , your God, all the things you've been able to accomplish.
Deuteronomy 12:23
Only this: Absolutely no blood. Don't eat the blood. Blood is life; don't eat the life with the meat. Don't eat it; pour it out on the ground like water. Don't eat it; then you'll have a good life, you and your children after you. By all means, do the right thing in God 's eyes.
Deuteronomy 14:21
Because you are a people holy to God , your God, don't eat anything that you find dead. You can, though, give it to a foreigner in your neighborhood for a meal or sell it to a foreigner. Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And though they go into captivity before their enemies,.... Alluding to the manner in which captives are led, being put before their enemies, and so carried in triumph; see Lamentations 1:5; though some think this refers to their going voluntarily into a foreign country, in order to escape danger, as Johanan the son of Kareah with the Jews went into Egypt, Jeremiah 43:5; in whom Kimchi instances:

thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them; or them that kill with the sword, as the Targum; so that though they thought by going into another country, or into an enemy's country of their own accord, to escape the sword of the enemy, or to curry favour with them, yet should not escape:

and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good: this is the true reason, why, let them be where they will, they cannot be safe, because the eyes of the omniscient God, which are everywhere, in heaven, earth, hell, and the sea, are set upon them, for their ruin and destruction; and there is no fleeing from his presence, or getting out of his sight, or escaping his hand. The Targum is,

"my Word shall be against them.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Captivity - , at least, seemed safe. The horrors of war are over. Men enslave, but do not commonly destroy those whom they have once been at the pains to carry captive. Amos describes them in their misery, as “going” willingly, gladly, “into captivity before their enemies,” like a flock of sheep. Yet “thence” too, out of “the captivity,” God would command the sword, and it should slay them. So God had forewarned them by Moses, that captivity should be an occasion, not an end, of slaughter. “I will scatter you among the pagan, and will draw out a sword after you” Leviticus 26:33. “And among these nations shalt thou find no ease - and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life” Deuteronomy 28:65-66. The book of Esther shows how cheaply the life of a whole nation was held by Eastern conquerors; and the book of Tobit records, how habitually Jews were slain and cast out unburied (Tobit 1:17; 2:3). The account also that Sennacherib (Tobit 1:18) avenged the loss of his army, and “in his wrath killed many,” is altogether in the character of Assyrian conquerors. Unwittingly he fulfilled the command of God, “I will command the sword and it shall slay them.”

I will set mine eyes upon them for evil - So David says, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from off the earth” Psalms 34:15-16. The Eye of God rests on each creature which He hath made, as entirely as if He had created it alone. Every moment is passed in His unvarying sight. But, as man “sets his eye” on man, watching him and with purpose of evil, so God’s Eye is felt to be on man in displeasure, when sorrow and calamity track him and overtake him, coming he knows not how in unlooked-for ways and strange events. The Eye of God upon us is our whole hope and stay and life. It is on the Confessor in prison, the Martyr on the rack, the poor in their sufferings, the mourner in the chamber of death, for good. What when everywhere that Eye, the Source of all good, rests on His creature only for evil! “and not for good,” he adds; “not,” as is the wont and the Nature of God; “not,” as He had promised, if they were faithful; “not,” as perhaps they thought, “for good.” He utterly shuts out all hope of good. It shall be all evil, and no good, such as is hell.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 9:4. I will set mine eyes upon them for evil — I will use that very providence against them which before worked for their good. Should they look upward, they shall see nothing but the terrible lightning-like eye of a sin-avenging God.


 
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