Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
Parallel translations
- WEB Hear this, you who desire to swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,
- BSB Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land,
- NKJV Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail,
- NASB Hear this, you who trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land,
- NLT Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Amos summons the greedy who trample the needy and bring the poor to ruin. Their exploitation of the vulnerable stands at the center of God's charge.
Overview
The wealthy 'swallow up' the needy through dishonest and oppressive dealings, treating people as prey. God especially defends the poor and weak, and their mistreatment provokes his judgment. This concern for the oppressed reflects God's heart throughout Scripture and is fulfilled in Christ, who proclaims good news to the poor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Prov 30:14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
- Ps 14:4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
- Amos 5:11Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
- Isa 32:6–7For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
- Ps 12:5For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
- Ps 140:12I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
- Amos 2:6–7Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
- Matt 23:13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
- Jas 5:6Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
- Jer 5:21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
- 1 Kgs 22:19And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
- Isa 1:10Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
- Jer 28:15Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
- Amos 7:16Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.
- Ps 56:1Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
- Isa 28:14Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid judgment on injustice, Amos promises the raising up of David's fallen tent — read by James in Acts 15 as the ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of the risen Christ.
How Amos 8:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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