Amos 2:6-3:8

New American Standard Bible

Judgment on Israel

⁶This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of ^(A)Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they ^(B)sell the righteous for ^[a]money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
⁷These who ^[b]trample the head of the ^(C)helpless to the dust of the earth
Also ^(D)divert the way of the humble;
And a ^(E)man and his father ^[c]resort to the same ^[d]girl
So as to profane My holy name.
⁸And on garments ^(F)seized as pledges they stretch out beside ^(G)every altar,
And in the house of their God they ^(H)drink the wine of those who have been fined.

⁹“Yet it was I who destroyed the ^(I)Amorite before them,
^[e]Though his ^(J)height was like the height of cedars
And he was as strong as the oaks;
I also destroyed his ^(K)fruit above and his roots below.
¹⁰And it was I who ^(L)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And led you in the wilderness for ^(M)forty years
So that you might take possession of the land of the ^(N)Amorite.
¹¹Then I ^(O)raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
And some of your young men to be ^(P)Nazirites.
Is this not so, you sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
¹²“But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
And you commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You ^(Q)shall not prophesy!’
¹³Behold, I am ^(R)making a rut in the ground beneath you,
Just as a wagon makes a rut when filled with sheaves.
¹⁴^(S)Refuge will be lost from the swift,
And the strong will not strengthen his power,
Nor the ^(T)warrior save his ^[f]life.
¹⁵The one who ^(U)grasps the bow will not stand his ground,
The swift of foot will not escape,
Nor will the one who rides the ^(V)horse save his ^[g]life.
¹⁶Even the ^[h]bravest among the warriors will ^(W)flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.

All the Tribes Are Guilty

3 Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire ^[i]^(X)family which ^[j]He brought up from the land of Egypt:

²“^(Y)You only have I ^[k]known among all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will ^[l]^(Z)punish you for all your wrongdoing.”
³Do two people walk together unless they have agreed to meet?
⁴Does a ^(AA)lion roar in the forest when he has no prey?
Does a young lion ^[m]growl from his den unless he has captured something?
⁵Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no ^[n]device in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
⁶If a ^(AB)trumpet is blown in a city, will the people not tremble?
If a ^(AC)disaster occurs in a city, has the Lord not brought it about?
⁷^[o]Certainly the Lord ^[p]God does nothing
Unless He ^(AD)reveals His secret plan
To His servants the prophets.
⁸A ^(AE)lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The ^(AF)Lord God has spoken! ^(AG)Who can do anything but prophesy?