Amos 2:6-16

Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke [the punishment], because they sell the righteous for money and the poor for a pair of sandals!

7 Those who trample the heads of the powerless into the dust of the ground and turn aside the way of the destitute, a man and his father {have sexual relations with} the same girl, so that [they] profane my holy name.

8 They stretch themselves out beside every altar on clothing taken in pledge and they drink wine, bought with fines imposed, in the house of their God.

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorite {before them}, {who was as tall as} cedars and was as strong as the oaks. I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.

10 And I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and I led you in the wilderness forty years to take possession of the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up some [of] your sons to [be] prophets and some [of] your young men to [be] Nazirites. Is it not so, O {people} of Israel? [This is] the declaration of Yahweh!

12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets, saying, 'You shall not prophesy.'

13 Look! I [am] going to press [you] down in your place just as a utility cart full of mature stalks of grain [is pressed down].

14 Flight will perish from [the] swift and [the] strong person will not muster his strength and [the] warrior will not save his life.

15 And [the] one who takes hold of the bow will not stand and [the one who is] swift on his feet will not save himself, nor will [the] one who rides the horse save his life.

16 Even those who are strong of heart among the mighty will flee away naked from the city on that day. [This is] the declaration of Yahweh!"

Amos 2:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 2

In this chapter the prophet foretells the calamities that should come upon the Moabites for their transgressions, Am 2:1-3; and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their iniquities, Am 2:4,5; also the judgments of God that should come upon Israel the ten tribes for their sins, which sins are enumerated; their oppression of the poor, their lewdness and idolatry, Am 2:6-8; and which are aggravated by the blessings of goodness bestowed upon them, both temporal and spiritual, Am 2:9-12; wherefore they are threatened with ruin, which would be inevitable, notwithstanding their swiftness, strength, and courage, and their skill in shooting arrows, and riding horses, Am 2:13-16.

Footnotes

• [a] Or "it"
• [b] Literally "go to"
• [c] Literally "imposing a fine"
• [d] Literally "from the face of them"
• [e] Literally "whose height was as the height of"
• [f] Literally "children"