Amos 2:4-16
Amplified Bible
Judgment on Judah
4
Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of Judah and for four (multiplied delinquencies)
I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it,
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord [the sum of God’s instruction to His people]
And have not kept His commandments;
But their lies [and their idols], after which their fathers walked,
Caused them to go astray.
5
“So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction by the Babylonians] upon Judah
And it will devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6
Thus says the Lord,
“For three transgressions of Israel and for four (multiplied delinquencies)
I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it,
Because they sell the righteous and innocent for silver
And the needy for the price of a pair of sandals.
7
“These who pant after (long to see) the dust of the earth on the head of the helpless [as sign of their grief and distress]
Also turn aside the way of the humble;
And a man and his father will go to the same [a]girl
So that My holy name is profaned.
8
“They stretch out beside every [pagan] altar on clothes taken in pledge [to secure a loan, disregarding God’s command],
And in the house of their God [in contempt of Him] they frivolously drink the wine [which has been] taken from those who have been fined.(A)
9
“Yet it was I [not the false gods] who destroyed the Amorite before them,
Though his height was like the height of the cedars,
And he was as strong as the oaks;
I even destroyed his fruit above and his root below.
10
“Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt,
And I led you forty years through the wilderness
That you might possess the land of the Amorite.
11
“Then I raised up some of your sons to be prophets [who gave you My revelation],
And some of your young men to be Nazirites (dedicated ones).
Is this not true, O you children of Israel?” says the Lord.(B)
12
“But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink [despite their vows]
And commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy!’
13
“Behold, I am weighted down beneath you
As a cart that is weighted down when it is full of sheaves.
14
“Flight will be lost to the swift [so they will be unable to escape],
And the strong shall not strengthen nor maintain his power,
Nor shall the mighty man save his own life.
15
“He who handles the bow will not stand his ground,
The one who is swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will he who rides the horse save his life [from the invading army].
16
“Even the bravest among the warriors shall flee naked on that day,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 2:7 Possibly a temple prostitute.
Amos 3
Amplified Bible
All the Families Are Guilty
3 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt:
2
“I have known [chosen, cared for, and loved] only you of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I shall punish you for all your wickedness.”
3
Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?
4
Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion growl from his den if he has not captured something?
5
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the ground when it has caught nothing at all? [Of course not! So it is that Israel has earned her impending judgment.]
6
If a trumpet is blown in a city [warning of danger] will not the people tremble?
If a disaster or misfortune occurs in a city has not the Lord caused it?
7
Surely the Lord God does nothing
[a]Without revealing His secret plan [of the judgment to come]
To His servants the prophets.(A)
8
The lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken [to the prophets]! Who can but prophesy?(B)
9 Proclaim on the fortresses in Ashdod (Philistia) and on the citadels in the land of Egypt, and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great confusion within her and the oppressions and abuse of authority in her midst. 10 For they do not know how to do right,” says the Lord, “these who store up violence and devastation [like treasures] in their strongholds.”
11 Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
“An adversary (Assyria), even one surrounding the land,
Shall pull down your strength from you
And your fortresses will be looted.”
12
Thus says the Lord,
“Just as the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion a couple of legs or a piece of the [sheep’s] ear [to prove to the owner that he has not stolen the animal],
So will the [remaining] children of Israel living in Samaria be snatched away
With the corner of a bed and [part of] the damask covering of a couch.
13
“Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14
“On that day when I punish Israel’s transgressions,
I shall also punish the altars of Bethel [with their golden calves];
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15
“And I shall tear down the winter house with the summer house;
And the houses of ivory shall also perish
And the great houses shall come to an end,”
Says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Amos 3:7 God has always warned of coming judgment in order that people may choose to change their behavior and avoid it. He warned Noah of the coming flood (Gen 6:13ff); Abraham and Lot of the future destruction of Sodom (Gen 18:17; 19:14); Joseph of the seven-year famine (Gen 41:30); Moses of the ten plagues on Egypt (Ex 7:1ff); Jonah of the destruction of Nineveh (Jon 1:2; 3:4); Amos of the downfall of Aram (Syria), Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and Israel (Amos 1 and 2). Various prophets were told in advance about the captivities of the chosen people, and they came to pass because the warnings were disregarded. Jonah announced the destruction of Nineveh, but judgment was postponed following repentance. When later generations of Ninevites reverted to paganism and wickedness, the warning of Nahum was carried out against them.
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