Amos 9:1

I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

² Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:

³ And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.
KJV: I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
WEB: I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, “Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake. Break them in pieces on the head of all of them. I will kill the last of them with the sword. Not one of them will flee away. Not one of them will escape.
ASV: I saw the Lord standing beside the altar: and he said, Smite the capitals, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.
DARBY: I saw the Lord standing upon the altar; and he said, Smite the chapiter that the thresholds may shake; and break all of them in pieces, in the head; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not get away by flight, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
BLB: I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the doorposts and the thresholds will shake, and break them on the head of them all, and the last of them I will kill with the sword. No one fleeing can flee from them, and no fugative will escape from them.

ÅB: Jeg så Herren stå ved alteret, og han sa: Slå til søylehodene, så dørtersklene skjelver, og knus dem, så de faller ned over hodet på dem alle! Den siste levning av dem vil jeg drepe med sverdet; ingen av dem skal kunne undfly, ingen av dem komme unna.
OTB: Jeg så Herren stå ved alteret, og Han sa,
«Slå søylehodene så tersklene rister,
Og knus dem over hodene på dem alle!
Så vil jeg drepe resten av dem med sverdet;
De skal ikke ha en flyktning som kan flykte,
Eller en overlevende som kan slippe unna.
B1930: Jeg så Herren stå ved alteret, og han sa: Slå til søilehodene, så dørtersklene skjelver, og knus dem, så de faller ned over hodet på dem alle! Den siste levning av dem vil jeg drepe med sverdet; ingen av dem skal kunne undfly, ingen av dem komme unda.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 68:21
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
Read in context
Amos 3:14
That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Beth-el: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
Read in context
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
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Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Read in context
Isaiah 6:1
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
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Isaiah 6:3–4
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Read in context
Habakkuk 3:13
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
Read in context
Ezekiel 9:2
And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
Read in context