A reading from the book of Amos.

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Toccoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah,

king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

And he said, The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem,

the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers. Thus says the Lord.

For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they have threshed Gilead, with threshing sledges of iron, so I will send a fire upon the

house of Haziel, and it shall devour the strongholds of Benhaddad. I will break the gate bar of Damascus,

and cut off the inhabitants from the valley of Avon, and him who holds the scepter from Beth Eden,

and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kerr, says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom,

so I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds.

I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod,

and him who holds the scepter from Ashcalon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of

the Philistine shall perish, says the Lord God. Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Tyre,

and for four I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up a whole

people to Edom, and did not remember the covenant of brotherhood, so I will send the fire upon the wall

of Tyre, and it shall devour her strongholds. Thus, says the Lord, for three transgressions of Edom,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment because he pursued his brother with the sword,

and cast off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever.

So I will send a fire upon Teaman, and it shall devour the strongholds of Basra.

Thus, says the Lord, for three transgressions of the Ammonites,

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