Amos 2

1 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, And for four, will I not turn away his punishment; For he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime!

Yahweh [also] said this: “[I will punish the people of] Moab because of the many sins [that they have committed]; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they [dug up] the bones of the king of Edom and burned them completely, with the result that [the ashes became as white] as lime.

2 But I will send a fire on Moab, Which shall devour the palaces of Kirioth; And Moab shall die amid tumults, Amid the war-shout, and the sound of the trumpet.

So I will cause a fire to completely burn the fortresses of Kerioth [city in Moab]. [People will hear soldiers] shouting and blowing trumpets [loudly] while I am causing Moab to be destroyed

3 I will destroy the judge from the midst of him, And slay all the princes with him, saith Jehovah.

[and while] I am getting rid of its king and all its leaders. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”

4 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Judah, And for four, will I not turn away their punishment; For they have despised the law of Jehovah, And have not kept his statutes, And their idols have caused them to err, After which their fathers walked.

Yahweh [also] said this: “[I will also punish the people of] Judah because of the many sins [that they have committed]; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they have rejected what I taught them and they have not obeyed my commands. They have been deceived [and persuaded to worship false gods], the same [gods] that their ancestors [worshiped].

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

So I will cause a fire to completely burn [everything in] Judah, including the fortresses in Jerusalem.”

6 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Israel, And for four, will I not turn away their punishment. For they sell the righteous for silver, And the needy for a pair of shoes;

Yahweh [also] said this: “[I will punish the people of] Israel because of the many sins [that they have committed]; I will not change my mind about punishing them, because they sell righteous [people] to get [a small amount of] silver; they sell poor [people, causing them to become slaves], getting for [each of] them [only the amount of money with which they could buy] a pair of sandals.

7 They pant for the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, And pervert the cause of the afflicted. The son and the father go in to the same damsel, To dishonor my holy name.

[It is as though] they trample the poor people into the dirt and do not allow those who are helpless to be treated fairly. Men and their fathers dishonor me [MTY] by both having sex [EUP] with the same [slave] girl.

8 They lay themselves down upon pledged garments Near every altar; And drink wine, procured by fines, In the house of their gods.

[When poor people borrow money], [the lenders force those people to give to them a piece of clothing] for them to keep until he can pay back the money. [But at the end of each day, instead of returning that garment as Yahweh had commanded them to], they lie down on that garment at the places where they worship [their gods]! They fine people, and with that money [they buy] wine and drink it in the temples of their gods!

9 Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, Who were tall as the cedars, And strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above, And their roots beneath.

[Long ago, ] to assist your ancestors, I got rid of the Amor people-group. They [seemed to be] as tall as cedar [trees] and as strong as oak [trees], but I got rid of them completely, [as easily as someone cuts off] [MET] the branches of a tree and then digs out all its roots.

10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt, And led you in the desert forty years, That ye might possess the land of the Amorite.

I brought your [ancestors] out of Egypt, and [then] I led them through the desert for 40 years. And then I enabled them to conquer/possess the Amor area.

11 Of your sons also I raised up prophets, And of your young men Nazarites; Is it not even so, O ye sons of Israel? saith Jehovah.

I chose some of you Israelis to be prophets, and I chose others to be Nazir-men [who were completely dedicated to me]. You people of Israel certainly [RHQ] know that what I have said is true!

12 But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets, Saying, Prophesy not!

But you commanded the prophets to not speak the messages that [I gave to] them, and you persuaded the Nazir-men to drink wine, [which I told them never to do].

13 Behold, I will press you down, As a wagon presseth down that is full of sheaves.

So I will crush you like [SIM] [the wheels of] a wagon that is loaded with grain crushes [whatever it rolls over].

14 And flight shall fail the swift, And the strong shall not exert his strength, And the mighty shall not save his life,

[Even] if you run fast, you will not escape; [even] if you are strong, [it will be as though] you are weak, and warriors will be unable to save themselves.

15 And he that handleth the bow shall not stand, And the swift of foot shall not save himself, And the horseman shall not escape with his life.

[Even] if you are able to shoot arrows [well], you will be forced to retreat [LIT]; [even] if you run fast or if you ride [away] on a horse, you will not [be able to] save yourself.

16 He that is strong in heart among the mighty Shall, in that day, flee away naked, saith Jehovah.

[Even] warriors who are very brave will drop their weapons when they try to flee on the day [that I get rid of them]. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”