# General Information:

God speaks through Amos using poetic language. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/writing-poetry]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism]])

# the shepherds from Tekoa, ... concerning Israel

Tekoa is the name of a town or village in Judah, but this message is primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel. It seems that Amos was one of a group of shepherds who had left Tekoa to work in Israel, and while he was there at work, God gave him these words (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-names]])

# saw

If your language uses a word for "see" only in poetry or mostly to indicate seeing in a vision or dream, you might want to use it here.

# in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and also in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel

The words "in the days of" is an idiom and refers to the time when each king reigned. Alternate translation: "when Uzziah was king of Judah, and also when Jeroboam son of Joash was king of Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom]])

# two years before the earthquake

The assumed knowledge is that the original hearers would be aware of when a large earthquake had affected the area. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit]])

