Amos 2
Expanded Bible
The People of Moab
2 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Moab,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime [C desecrating a tomb was a serious offense in the ancient Near East].
2 So I will send fire on Moab
that will ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of the city of Kerioth.
·The people of Moab [L Moab] will die in a great ·noise [uproar; tumult],
in the middle of ·the sounds of war [shouting; war cries] and trumpets.
3 So I will ·bring an end to [destroy; L cut off] the king of Moab,
and I will kill all its ·leaders [officials; princes] with him,” says the Lord.
The People of Judah
4 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; 2:1] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Judah,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
They rejected the ·teachings [law; L Torah] of the Lord
and did not ·keep [guard] his ·commands [statutes; ordinances; requirements];
they ·followed the same gods [or have been led astray by the same lies]
as their ·ancestors [fathers] had followed.
5 So I will send fire on Judah,
and it will ·destroy [consume; devour] the ·strong buildings [fortresses; palaces] of Jerusalem.”
Israel Is Punished
6 This is what the Lord says:
“For ·the many [L three, even four; 2:1] ·crimes [sins; transgressions] of Israel,
I will ·punish them [L not turn back/grant a reprieve].
For silver, they sell ·people who have done nothing wrong [the innocent/righteous];
they sell the ·poor [needy] to buy a pair of sandals.
7 They ·walk [trample] on ·poor people [L the heads of the poor] as if they were ·dirt [L the dust of the ground/earth],
and they ·refuse to be fair to [deny justice to; or push away] those who are ·suffering [afflicted].
Fathers and sons ·have sexual relations with [L go in to] the same woman,
and so they ·ruin [defile; profane] my holy name.
8 ·As they worship at their altars [L Beside every altar],
they lie down on clothes taken ·from the poor [L in pledge; C as collateral for a debt; Deut. 24:12–13].
They fine people,
and with that money they buy wine to drink in the house of their god.
9 “But it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were tall like cedar trees and as strong as oaks—
I destroyed ·them completely [L their fruit above and roots below].
10 It was I who brought you from the land of Egypt
and led you for forty years through the ·desert [wilderness]
·so I could give you [L to possess] the land of the Amorites.
11 I made some of your children to be prophets
and some of your young people to be Nazirites [Num. 6:2].
·People [L Sons/T Children] of Israel, isn’t this true?” says the Lord.
12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine [C violating their vows; Num. 6:3]
and ·told [commanded] the prophets not to prophesy.
13 Now I ·will make you get stuck [or will crush/press you down; or am burdened by you],
as a wagon loaded with grain ·gets stuck [or is weighed/pressed down].
14 No one will ·escape [find refuge], not even the fastest runner.
Strong people will not be strong enough;
warriors will not be able to save themselves.
15 Soldiers with bows and arrows will not ·stand and fight [hold their ground],
and even fast runners will not get away;
soldiers on horses will not escape alive.
16 At that time even the bravest warriors
will run away ·without their armor [L naked],” says the Lord.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
