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Minor Prophets · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Amos 2

God confronts worship severed from justice and calls a prosperous society to account.

Old Testament

Amos 2

1The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;

2but I will send a fire on Moab, and it will devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab will die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet;

3and I will cut off the judge from among them, and will kill all its princes with him,” says the LORD.

4The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Judah, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have rejected the LORD’s law, and have not kept his statutes, and their lies have led them astray, after which their fathers walked;

5but I will send a fire on Judah, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”

6The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals;

7They trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth and deny justice to the oppressed. A man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name.

8They lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge. In the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.

9Yet I destroyed 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.

10Also 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.

11I raised up some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites. Isn’t this true, you children of Israel?” says the LORD.

12“But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘Don’t prophesy!’

13Behold, I will crush you in your place, as a cart crushes that is full of grain.

14Flight will perish from the swift. The strong won’t strengthen his force. The mighty won’t deliver himself.

15He who handles the bow won’t stand. He who is swift of foot won’t escape. He who rides the horse won’t deliver himself.

16He who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day,” says the LORD.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

God confronts worship severed from justice and calls a prosperous society to account. Read Amos 2 within the complete Amos overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Amos 2

Amos 2 contains 16 verses and about 397 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “The LORD says: “For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 16 closes: “He who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked on that day,” says the LORD.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, says, won’t, away, three, transgressions. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Amos 2

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Amos 2:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer