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Judgment on Judah

Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Judah,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[a]
because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord
    and have not kept his statutes,
but they have been led astray by the same lies
    after which their ancestors walked.(A)
So I will send a fire on Judah,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.(B)

Judgment on Israel

Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Israel,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,[b]
because they sell the righteous for silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals—(C)
they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth
    and push the afflicted out of the way;
father and son go in to the same young woman,
    so that my holy name is profaned;(D)
they lay themselves down beside every altar
    on garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God they drink
    wine bought with fines they imposed.(E)

Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,
    whose height was like the height of cedars
    and who was as strong as oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above
    and his roots beneath.(F)
10 Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt
    and led you forty years in the wilderness,
    to possess the land of the Amorite.(G)
11 And I raised up some of your children to be prophets
    and some of your youths to be nazirites.
    Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?
            says the Lord.(H)

12 But you made the nazirites drink wine
    and commanded the prophets,
    saying, “You shall not prophesy.”(I)

13 So, I will press you down in your place,
    just as a cart presses down
    when it is full of sheaves.[c](J)
14 Flight shall perish from the swift,
    and the strong shall not retain their strength,
    nor shall the mighty save their lives;(K)
15 those who handle the bow shall not stand,
    and those who are swift of foot shall not save themselves,
    nor shall those who ride horses save their lives;(L)
16 and those who are stout of heart among the mighty
    shall flee away naked on that day,
            says the Lord.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.4 Heb cause it to return
  2. 2.6 Heb cause it to return
  3. 2.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain

A word to Judah

    The Lord proclaims:
    For three crimes of Judah,
        and for four, I won’t hold back the punishment,
    because they have rejected the Instruction of the Lord,
        and haven’t kept his laws.
    They have been led off the right path by the same lies
        after which their ancestors walked.
    So I will send a fire on Judah,
        and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

A word to Israel

    The Lord proclaims:
    For three crimes of Israel,
        and for four, I won’t hold back the punishment,
    because they have sold the innocent for silver,
            and those in need for a pair of sandals.
    They crush the head of the poor into the dust of the earth,
        and push the afflicted out of the way.
    Father and son have intercourse with the same young woman,
        degrading my holy name.
    They stretch out beside every altar
        on garments taken in loan;
    in the house of their god they drink
        wine bought with fines they imposed.
    Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,
        whose height was as tall as cedar trees,
        and whose strength was as strong as oak trees.
    I destroyed his fruit above
        and his roots below.
10 Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,
        and led you forty years in the wilderness,
        to lay claim to the land of the Amorite.
11 I raised up some of your children to be prophets
        and some of your youth to be nazirites.
    Isn’t this so, people of Israel?
says the Lord.

12 But you made the nazirites drink wine,
        and commanded the prophets,
        saying, “You won’t prophesy.”
13 So now I will oppress you,
        just like a cart is weighed down[a]
        when it is full of harvested grain.
14 Fast runners will find no refuge;
    the strong will lose their strength;
    the mighty will be unable to save their lives.
15 Those who shoot the bow won’t survive.
        Fast runners won’t escape;
        those who ride horses won’t save themselves.
16 The bravest warrior
    will flee away naked in that day,
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:13 Heb uncertain