Amos 2 – NIV & NIRV

New International Version

Amos 2:1-16

1This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Moab,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because he burned to ashes

the bones of Edom’s king,

2I will send fire on Moab

that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth.2:2 Or of her cities

Moab will go down in great tumult

amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet.

3I will destroy her ruler

and kill all her officials with him,”

says the Lord.

4This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Judah,

even for four, I will not relent.

Because they have rejected the law of the Lord

and have not kept his decrees,

because they have been led astray by false gods,2:4 Or by lies

the gods2:4 Or lies their ancestors followed,

5I will send fire on Judah

that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

6This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel,

even for four, I will not relent.

They sell the innocent for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals.

7They 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.

8They lie down beside every altar

on garments taken in pledge.

In the house of their god

they drink wine taken as fines.

9“Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them,

though they were tall as the cedars

and strong as the oaks.

I destroyed their fruit above

and their roots below.

10I brought you up out of Egypt

and led you forty years in the wilderness

to give you the land of the Amorites.

11“I also raised up prophets from among your children

and Nazirites 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.

13“Now then, I will crush you

as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.

14The swift will not escape,

the strong will not muster their strength,

and the warrior will not save his life.

15The archer will not stand his ground,

the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,

and the horseman will not save his life.

16Even the bravest warriors

will flee naked on that day,”

declares the Lord.

New International Reader’s Version

Amos 2:1-16

1The Lord says,

“The people of Moab have sinned again and again.

So I will judge them.

They burned the bones

of Edom’s king to ashes.

2So I will send fire to destroy Moab.

It will burn up Kerioth’s forts.

Moab will come crashing down with a loud noise.

War cries will be heard.

So will the blast of trumpets.

3I will kill Moab’s ruler.

I will also kill all its officials,”

says the Lord.

4The Lord says,

“The people of Judah have sinned again and again.

So I will judge them.

They have refused to obey my law.

They have not kept my rules.

Other gods have led them astray.

Their people of long ago

worshiped those gods.

5So I will send fire to destroy Judah.

It will burn up Jerusalem’s forts.”

The Lord Judges Israel

6The Lord says,

“The people of Israel have sinned again and again.

So I will judge them.

They sell into slavery those who have done no wrong.

They trade needy people

for a mere pair of sandals.

7They grind the heads of the poor

into the dust of the ground.

They refuse to be fair to those who are crushed.

A father and his son have sex with the same girl.

They treat my name as if it were not holy.

8They lie down beside every altar on clothes they have taken.

They lie on those clothes

until the owner pays back what is owed.

In the house of their God

they drink wine that was paid as fines.

9“Yet I destroyed the Amorites

to make room in the land for my people.

The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees.

They were as strong as oak trees.

But I cut off their fruit above the ground

and their roots below it.

10“People of Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt.

I led you in the desert for 40 years.

I gave you the land of the Amorites.

11I raised up prophets from among your children.

I also set apart for myself some of your young people to be Nazirites.

Isn’t that true, people of Israel?”

announces the Lord.

12“But you made the Nazirites drink wine.

You commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

13“A cart that is loaded with grain

crushes anything it runs over.

In the same way, I will crush you.

14Your fastest runners will not escape.

The strongest people will not get away.

Even soldiers will not be able

to save their own lives.

15Men who are armed with bows will lose the battle.

Soldiers who are quick on their feet will not escape.

Horsemen will not be able

to save their own lives.

16Even your bravest soldiers

will run away naked on that day,”

announces the Lord.