Amos 2:8

Poverty and the vulnerable Justice

⁶ Thus 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;

⁷ That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.

⁹ Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

¹⁰ Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink wine obtained through fines.
KJV: And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
WEB: They lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge. In the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.
ASV: and they lay themselves down beside every altar upon clothes taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink the wine of such as have been fined.
DARBY: And they lay [themselves] down by every altar upon clothes taken in pledge, and they drink [in] the house of their God the wine of the condemned.
BLB: And on clothes taken in pledge they stretch out beside every altar, and the wine of those having been fined they drink [in] the house of their God.

ÅB: På pantsatte klær strekker de seg ved hvert alter, og vin som de har tatt som bøter, drikker de i sin Guds hus.
OTB: Og på klær tatt som sikkerhet ligger de ved hvert alter,
og i huset til deres Gud drikker de vinen til dem som har blitt straffet.
B1930: På pantsatte klær strekker de sig ved hvert alter, og vin som de har tatt som bøter, drikker de i sin Guds hus.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 24:12–17
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:
Read in context
Exodus 22:26–27
If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
Read in context
Amos 6:6
That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Read in context
Hosea 4:8
They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 8:10
For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
Read in context
Amos 6:4
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
Read in context
Amos 4:1
Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
Read in context
Ezekiel 18:7
And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
Read in context