Amos 2:4-16
New American Standard Bible
Judgment on Judah
4 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.
5 So I will (E)send fire upon Judah,
And it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 “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.
Amos 2:4-16
Revised Standard Version
Judgment on Judah
4 Thus says the Lord:
“For three transgressions of Judah,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;[a]
because they have rejected the law of the Lord,
and have not kept his statutes,
but their lies have led them astray,
after which their fathers walked.
5 So I will send a fire upon Judah,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”
Judgment on Israel
6 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 shoes—
7 they that trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth,
and turn aside the way of the afflicted;
a man and his father go in to the same maiden,
so that my holy name is profaned;
8 they lay themselves down beside every altar
upon garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God they drink
the wine of those who have been fined.
9 “Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,
whose height was like the height of the cedars,
and who was as strong as the oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above,
and his roots beneath.
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.
11 And I raised up some of your sons for prophets,
and some of your young men for Nazirites.
Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?”
says the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine,
and commanded the prophets,
saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’
13 “Behold, I will press you down in your place,
as a cart full of sheaves presses down.
14 Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong shall not retain his strength,
nor shall the mighty save his life;
15 he who handles the bow shall not stand,
and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself,
nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;
16 and he who is stout of heart among the mighty
shall flee away naked in that day,”
says the Lord.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.