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BibleStudyIt Amos 2

  • Amos Chapter 2

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2 The Lord says, ‘The people in Moab have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainly punish them.

They dug up the bones of Edom's king. They burned his bones until they became ashes. 2 So I will send fire to the country called Moab. The fire will destroy the strong buildings in Kerioth town. The people will hear their enemies shout. And they will hear the sounds that their enemies' trumpets make. And the people will die. 3 I will let the enemies kill the ruler of Moab. And I will let them kill all its leaders too.’ That is what the Lord says.

A message to the people in Judah

4 The Lord says, ‘The people in Judah have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainly punish them.

They refused to obey my laws and my commands. They have listened to their false gods, Those are the same false gods that their ancestors served. 5 So I will send fire to Judah. The fire will completely burn the strong buildings that are in Jerusalem.’

A message to the people in Israel

6 The Lord says, ‘The people in Israel have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainly punish them.

They sold people that did not do wrong things. They sold them for silver. And they sold poor people for only the price of shoes. 7 They are not kind to poor people and they do not help them. A father and his son have sex with the same woman. They do not respect the holy way that I want them to live. 8 When they lend money to poor people, they take the poor people's clothes. [ a ] They do not return the clothes each night, as they should do. Instead they sleep on the clothes themselves. They do that at the places where they worship their gods. The rich people take money from poor people. They use that money to buy wine for themselves. Then they drink the wine in the temples of their gods.

9 Remember the Amorites. They were big and strong. They were like the tallest cedar trees and the strongest oak trees. But I destroyed all of them. 10 I brought you out of Egypt. After that, I led you through the wilderness for 40 years. Then I took you to the land where the Amorites lived, so that it would belong to you. 11 I chose some men among you to be prophets, and some to be Nazirites. [ b ] You Israelites know that it is true.’ That is what the Lord says. 12 ‘But you told the Nazirites to drink wine, like everyone else. And you said to the prophets, “Do not speak messages from God.”

13 So I will punish you. A cart that has a heavy load pushes down on the ground. That is how I will push down on you. 14 You might try to run away. But nobody will get free. Even the fastest runner will not get free. The strong people will not be strong enough to stop me. The soldiers will not be able to save their lives. 15 Soldiers who shoot arrows will have to turn back. Fast runners will not save their lives. Soldiers who ride on horses will also die. 16 At that time, strong, brave soldiers will run away without their clothes.’ That is what the Lord says.

Footnotes

  1. 2:8 When a poor person gave clothes to a rich person, the poor person was giving a promise. He was promising to pay money back to the rich person. God had said this to rich people about those poor people's clothes: ‘Do not keep the clothes at night. Give the clothes back to the poor people for the nights. Then they will not be cold.’
  2. 2:11 ‘Nazirites’ were people that had made a special promise. So they lived in a different way from other people. They did not drink alcohol and they did not cut their hair. And they did not touch anything that was dead.

Punishment for Moab

2 This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Moab for the many crimes they did. Moab burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. 2 So I will start a fire in Moab that will destroy the high towers of Kerioth. [ a ] There will be terrible shouting and the sounds of a trumpet, and Moab will die. 3 So I will bring an end to the kings [ b ] of Moab, and I will kill all the leaders of Moab.” This is what the Lord said.

Punishment for Judah

4 This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish Judah for the many crimes they did. They refused to obey the Lord ’s teachings and they did not keep his commands. Their ancestors believed lies, and those same lies caused the people of Judah to stop following God. 5 So I will start a fire in Judah that will destroy the high towers of Jerusalem.”

Punishment for Israel

6 This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish Israel for the many crimes they have done. They sold honest people for a little silver. They sold the poor for the price of a pair of sandals. 7 They pushed their faces into the ground and walked on them. They stopped listening to suffering people. Fathers and sons had sexual relations with the same woman. They ruined my holy name. 8 They took clothes from the poor, and then they sat on those clothes while worshiping at their altars. They loaned money to the poor, and then they took their clothes as a promise for payment. [ c ] They made people pay fines and used the money to buy wine for themselves to drink in the temple of their god.

9 “But it was I who destroyed the Amorites [ d ] before them. They were as tall as cedar trees and as strong as oaks, but I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below. [ e ]

10 “I was the one who brought you from the land of Egypt. For 40 years I led you through the desert. I helped you take the Amorites’ land. 11 I made some of your sons to be prophets and some of your young men to be Nazirites. People of Israel, it is true.” This is what the Lord said. 12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine. You told the prophets not to prophesy. 13 You have become more than I can bear. I am bent low like a wagon loaded with grain. 14 No one will escape, not even the fastest runner. Strong men will not be strong enough. Soldiers will not be able to save themselves. 15 People with bows and arrows will not survive. Fast runners will not escape. People on horses will not escape alive. 16 At that time even very brave soldiers will run away. They will not take the time to put their clothes on.” This is what the Lord said.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:2 Kerioth A city in Moab. This might be Ar, the capital city of Moab.
  2. Amos 2:3 kings Literally, “judges.”
  3. Amos 2:8 as a promise for payment. See Deut. 24:12-13 for the rules about making loans to the poor.
  4. Amos 2:9 Amorites One of the nations who lived in Canaan before the Israelites came. They were the people who scared the Israelites while Moses was leading them in the desert. See Num. 13:33.
  5. Amos 2:9 fruit above … below This means the parents and their children.

2 Thus saith the Lord ; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:

2 But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:

3 And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith the Lord .

4 Thus saith the Lord ; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord , and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:

5 But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.

6 Thus saith the Lord ; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

8 And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

10 Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the Lord .

12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

13 Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.

14 Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

15 Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord .

Judgment on Moab

2 This is what the Lord says:

“For three offenses of ( A ) Moab, and for four,
I will not [ a ] revoke its punishment ,
Because he ( B ) burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 So I will send fire upon Moab
And it will consume the citadels of ( C ) Kerioth;
And Moab will die amid the ( D ) panic of battle ,
Amid war cries and the sound of a trumpet.
3 I will also eliminate the [ b ] ( E ) judge from her midst
And slay all her ( F ) leaders with him,” says the Lord .

Judgment on Judah

4 This is what the Lord says:
“For three offenses of ( G ) Judah, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment ,
Because they ( H ) rejected the Law of the Lord
And have not kept His statutes;
Their [ c ] ( I ) lies also have led them astray,
Those which their ( J ) fathers followed.
5 So I will ( K ) 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 ( L ) Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke its punishment ,
Because they ( M ) sell the righteous for [ d ] money,
And the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 These who [ e ] trample the head of the ( N ) helpless to the dust of the earth
Also ( O ) divert the way of the humble;
And a ( P ) man and his father [ f ] resort to the same [ g ] girl
So as to profane My holy name.
8 And on garments ( Q ) seized as pledges they stretch out beside ( R ) every altar,
And in the house of their God they ( S ) drink the wine of those who have been fined.

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

Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:1 Lit cause it to turn back , and so throughout the ch
  2. Amos 2:3 Or executive officer
  3. Amos 2:4 Or false gods
  4. Amos 2:6 Lit silver
  5. Amos 2:7 Or pant for the dust...on the head of the helpless
  6. Amos 2:7 Lit go
  7. Amos 2:7 Possibly a prostitute, or a temple prostitute
  8. Amos 2:9 Lit Whose height
  9. Amos 2:14 Lit soul
  10. Amos 2:15 Lit soul
  11. Amos 2:16 Lit strong of his heart

2 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Moab, ( A )
even for four, I will not relent.
Because he burned to ashes ( B )
the bones of Edom’s king,
2 I will send fire on Moab
that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. [ a ] ( C )
Moab will go down in great tumult
amid war cries ( D ) and the blast of the trumpet. ( E )
3 I will destroy her ruler ( F )
and kill all her officials with him,” ( G )
says the Lord . ( H )

4 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Judah, ( I )
even for four, I will not relent.
Because they have rejected the law ( J ) of the Lord
and have not kept his decrees, ( K )
because they have been led astray ( L ) by false gods, [ b ] ( M )
the gods [ c ] their ancestors followed, ( N )
5 I will send fire ( O ) on Judah
that will consume the fortresses ( P ) of Jerusalem. ( Q )

Judgment on Israel

6 This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,
even for four, I will not relent. ( R )
They sell the innocent for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals. ( S )
7 They trample on the heads of the poor
as on the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl
and so profane my holy name. ( T )
8 They lie down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge. ( U )
In the house of their god
they drink wine ( V ) taken as fines. ( W )

9 “Yet I destroyed the Amorites ( X ) before them,
though they were tall ( Y ) as the cedars
and strong as the oaks. ( Z )
I destroyed their fruit above
and their roots ( AA ) below.
10 I brought you up out of Egypt ( AB )
and led ( AC ) you forty years in the wilderness ( AD )
to give you the land of the Amorites. ( AE )

11 “I also raised up prophets ( AF ) from among your children
and Nazirites ( AG ) from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?”
declares the Lord .
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine
and commanded the prophets not to prophesy. ( AH )

13 “Now then, I will crush you
as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. ( AI )
14 The swift will not escape, ( AJ )
the strong ( AK ) will not muster their strength,
and the warrior will not save his life. ( AL )
15 The archer ( AM ) will not stand his ground,
the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,
and the horseman ( AN ) will not save his life. ( AO )
16 Even the bravest warriors ( AP )
will flee naked on that day,”
declares the Lord .

Footnotes

  1. Amos 2:2 Or of her cities
  2. Amos 2:4 Or by lies
  3. Amos 2:4 Or lies