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Judgment Against Judah

This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of Judah,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they rejected the law of the Lord,
    and they did not keep his statutes.
    Their lying idols led them astray,
    the idols that their fathers followed.
So I will send fire against Judah,
    and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.

Judgment Against Israel

This is what the Lord says:
    Because of three sins of Israel,
    because of four, I will not hold back judgment,
    because they sell the righteous for silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth,
    and they turn aside the claims of the oppressed.
    A man and his father go to the same young woman.
    In this way they profane my holy name.
They stretch themselves out beside every altar
        on pieces of clothing they seized as collateral.
    In the temple of their gods they drink wine obtained through fines.

I was the one who destroyed the Amorites in front of them,
    the Amorites, who were as tall as cedars,
    who were as strong as oaks.
    I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.
10 I myself brought you up from the land of Egypt,
    and I led you in the wilderness for forty years,
        so that you would take possession of the land of the Amorites.
11 I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,
    and some of your best young men to be Nazirites.
    Is this not so, you people of Israel? declares the Lord.
12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
    and you commanded the prophets, “You must not prophesy!”

13 Look, I am weighed down under you,
    just as a cart is weighed down when it is loaded with sheaves of grain.[a]
14 There will be no escape for the swift runner.
    The powerful man will not be able to exert his strength,
    and the strong warrior will not be able to save his own life.
15 The archer will not stand his ground.
    The swift runner will not save himself,
    and the horseman will not save his own life.
16 The most courageous among the warriors will flee naked on that day,
    declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:13 The meaning of the verse is uncertain. It may mean I will weigh you down as a cart is weighed down.

Judgment on Judah

Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke the punishment,[a] because they have rejected the law of Yahweh and have not kept his rules, and their lies have led them astray, after which their ancestors walked![b] So I will send a fire against Judah and it will devour the citadel fortresses of Jerusalem.

Judgment on Israel

Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not revoke the punishment,[c] because they sell the righteous for money and the poor for a pair of sandals! 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[d] the same girl, so that they profane my holy name. They stretch themselves out beside every altar on clothing taken in pledge and they drink wine, bought with fines imposed,[e] in the house of their God. Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,[f] who was as tall as[g] 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[h] 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!”

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:4 Or “it”
  2. Amos 2:4 Literally “which their ancestors walked after them”
  3. Amos 2:6 Or “it”
  4. Amos 2:7 Literally “go to”
  5. Amos 2:8 Literally “imposing a fine”
  6. Amos 2:9 Literally “from the face of them”
  7. Amos 2:9 Literally “whose height was as the height of”
  8. Amos 2:11 Literally “children”