Judgment on Judah

This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of (A)Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment,
Because they (B)rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [a](C)lies also have led them astray,
Those which their (D)fathers followed.
So I will (E)send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

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

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

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:4 Or false gods
  2. Amos 2:6 Lit silver
  3. Amos 2:7 Or pant for the dust...on the head of the helpless
  4. Amos 2:7 Lit go
  5. Amos 2:7 Possibly a prostitute, or a temple prostitute
  6. Amos 2:9 Lit Whose height
  7. Amos 2:14 Lit soul
  8. Amos 2:15 Lit soul
  9. Amos 2:16 Lit strong of his heart

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