Amos 5:12

Amos 5:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
• New International Version (NIV)For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.

Context of Amos 5:12

10They hate the one who convicts the guilty at the city gate, and they despise the one who speaks with integrity. 11Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact a grain tax from him, you will never live in the houses of cut stone you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. For I know your crimes are many and your sins innumerable. They oppress the righteous, take a bribe, and deprive the poor of justice at the city gates. 13Therefore, those who have insight will keep silent at such a time, for the days are evil. 14Pursue good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Armies, will be with you as you have claimed.

Amos 5:12 word by word

כִּ֤י יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ רַבִּ֣ים פִּשְׁעֵיכֶ֔ם וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶ֑ם צֹרְרֵ֤י צַדִּיק֙ לֹ֣קְחֵי כֹ֔פֶר וְאֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים בַּשַּׁ֥עַר הִטּֽוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• your manifoldרַבrab · manyH7227
• transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
• and your mightyעָצוּם‛âtsûm ‛âtsûm · mightyH6099
• sinsחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
• they afflictצָרַרtsârar · to vexH6887
• the justצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• they takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• a bribeכֹּפֶרkôpher · ransomH3724
• and they turn asideנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• the poorאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
• in the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179

Cross-references for Amos 5:12

• Deuteronomy 31:21And when many troubles and afflictions come to them, this song will testify against them, because their descendants will not have forgotten it. For I know what they are prone to do, even before I bring them into the land I swore to give them.”
• Isaiah 66:18“Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory.
• Jeremiah 29:23because they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken in my name a lie, which I did not command them. I am he who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
• Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• 2 Kings 17:7This disaster happened because the people of Israel sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they worshiped other gods.
• Isaiah 47:9These two things will happen to you suddenly, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They will happen to you in their entirety, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
• Amos 2:6The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.
• Acts 3:13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him.
• Acts 7:52Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
• James 5:4Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies.
• 1 Samuel 8:3However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.
• Psalms 26:9Do not destroy me along with sinners, or my life along with men of bloodshed
• Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.
• Isaiah 33:15The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses profit from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes against evil schemes —
• Micah 3:11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
• Micah 7:3Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.

Commentaries on Amos 5:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I know your manifold transgressions - I have marked the multitude of your smaller crimes, as well as your mighty offenses. Among their greater offenses were, Their afflicting the righteous. Taking bribes to blind their eyes in judgment. And, 3. Refusing to hear the poor, who had no money to give them.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For I know - Literally, “I have known.” They thought that God did not know, because He did not avenge; as the Psalmist says, “Thy judgments are far above out of his sight” Psalm 10:5. People who do not act with the thought of God, cease to know Him, and forget that He knows them. “Your manifold transgressions;” literally, “many are your transgressions and mighty your sins.” Their deeds, they knew, were mighty, strong, vigorous, decided. God says, that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-17Verses 7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-17Amos delivers three prophetic messages to Israel, criticizing their mistaken belief about being God's chosen people. The messages show a progression toward judgment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. they afflict ... they take--rather, "(ye) who afflict ... take." bribe--literally, a price with which one who has an unjust cause ransoms himself from your sentence (1Sa 12:3, Margin; Pr 6:35). turn aside the poor in the gate--refuse them their right in the place of justice (Am 2:7; Is 29:21).Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 5:12

• Bribery
• Injustice
• Justice
• Oppression
• Poor
• Rulers
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Manifold
• Seek
• Amos (1)
• Blindness, Judicial
• Bribery
• Calf, Golden
• Judge
• Shepherd
• afflict, affliction, distress

Commentaries on Amos 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings