Passage
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.
Nearby Context
Amos 9:1 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.
Amos 9:2 Though they dig into Sheol, thence shall my hand take them; and though they climb up to the heavens, thence will I bring them down;
Amos 9:3 and though they hide themselves on 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, there will I command the serpent, and it shall bite them;
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "light", "lord", "standing", "upon", "altar", "said", "smite", and "chapiter". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The next verse adds "Though they dig into Sheol thence shall...", so "light" and "lord" should be read forward into that movement. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.