Amos 2:8

2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral;

they do so right ¹  beside every altar!

They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied;

they do so right in the temple ²  of their God! ³ 

Amos 3:13

3:13 Listen and warn ⁴  the family ⁵  of Jacob! ⁶ 

The sovereign Lord, the God who commands armies, ⁷  is speaking!

Amos 5:1

Death is Imminent

5:1 Listen to this funeral song I am ready to sing about you, ⁸  family ⁹  of Israel:

Amos 5:25

5:25 You did not bring me ¹⁰  sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family ¹¹  of Israel.

Amos 7:9

7:9 Isaac’s centers of worship ¹²  will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.” ¹³ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn The words “They do so right” are supplied twice in the translation of this verse for clarification.

[2:8]  ² tn Heb “house.”

[2:8]  ³ tn Or “gods.” The Hebrew term אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (’elohehem) may be translated “their gods” (referring to pagan gods), “their god” (referring to a pagan god, cf. NAB, NIV, NLT), or “their God” (referring to the God of Israel, cf. NASB, NRSV).

[3:13]  ⁴ tn Or “testify against.”

[3:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[3:13]  ⁶ tn These words are spoken to either the unidentified heralds addressed at the beginning of v. 9, or to the Egyptians and Philistines (see v. 9b). Another possibility is that one is not to look for a specific addressee but rather appreciate the command simply as a rhetorical device to grab the attention of the listeners and readers of the prophetic message.

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

[5:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “Listen to this word which I am about to take up against you, a funeral song.”

[5:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[5:25]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Did you bring me…?” This rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The point seems to be this: Since sacrifices did not characterize God’s relationship with Israel during the nation’s formative years, the people should not consider them to be so fundamental. The Lord places a higher priority on justice than he does on empty ritual.

[5:25]  ¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

[7:9]  ¹³ tn Traditionally, “the high places” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “pagan shrines.”

[7:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”