Amos

Part One: Introduction to Amos

The Prophet

Amos, whose name means "burden" or "burden-bearer," was "among the herdmen of Tekoa" (1:1), a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem in Judah. He described himself as "an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit" (7:14), a sheep breeder who also tended sycamore-fig trees. He was not a professional prophet: "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son... And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel" (7:14-15). A layman from the southern kingdom, he was sent north to preach at Bethel, the royal sanctuary of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Date and Setting

Amos prophesied "in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake" (1:1), around 760 BC. This earthquake was so severe that it was remembered centuries later: "ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah" (Zechariah 14:5). Archaeologists have found evidence of a major earthquake around this time at Hazor and other sites.

Under Jeroboam II, Israel enjoyed its greatest prosperity since Solomon. Jeroboam restored Israel's borders (2 Kings 14:25), trade flourished, and the wealthy built winter and summer houses decorated with ivory (3:15; 6:4). Excavations at Samaria have uncovered hundreds of carved ivory pieces from this period. But the prosperity was built on injustice: the rich exploited the poor, bribed judges, cheated in business, and enjoyed luxury while ignoring suffering. Religion was busy and popular at Bethel, Gilgal and Beersheba, but it was empty. Amos's contemporary Hosea also preached to Israel. Within forty years, Assyria would destroy the northern kingdom (722 BC).

Purpose and Theme

Amos is the prophet of justice and righteousness. He declared that God judges not only idolatry but injustice, and that worship without righteousness is hateful to Him. Israel's privilege as God's chosen people did not protect them; it increased their responsibility.

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Amos 3:2

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos 5:24

Yet the book ends with hope: God will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David and restore His people to their land for ever (9:11-15).

The Sins Amos Condemned

Outline of Amos

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Section I: Judgments on the Nations (Chapters 1-2)

Chapter 1 — The Lion Roars

"The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither" (1:2). The shepherd-prophet hears God as a lion about to pounce. Amos then pronounces judgment on Israel's neighbours, each oracle beginning, "For three transgressions of... and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof." The formula means: their sins have piled up and overflowed; God's patience is exhausted. Each nation was judged for crimes against humanity, sins against conscience and the moral law God has written on every heart (Romans 2:14-15):

• Damascus (Syria) (1:3-5): "they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron," brutal cruelty in war. Its people would go captive to Kir (fulfilled in 2 Kings 16:9).
• Gaza (Philistia) (1:6-8): "they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom," trading entire communities as slaves.
• Tyre (Phoenicia) (1:9-10): it also sold captives to Edom "and remembered not the brotherly covenant," breaking a treaty of friendship.
• Edom (1:11-12): "he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually," endless hatred against Israel, its brother nation (Genesis 25-27; Obadiah 10).
• Ammon (1:13-15): "they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border," atrocities for land.

Israel's audience would have cheered as Amos condemned their enemies.

Chapter 2 — Judah and Israel

• Moab (2:1-3): "he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime," desecrating the dead of an enemy nation. God's justice protects even Israel's enemies.
• Judah (2:4-5): "they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err." Judah was judged for rejecting God's revealed Word. Fire would devour Jerusalem's palaces (fulfilled in 586 BC).

Having circled around Israel, naming its neighbours and then its brother Judah, Amos now turns the full force of his message on Israel itself, the longest and most detailed oracle:

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; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek

Amos 2:6-7

They sold people into slavery for trivial debts, as cheap as a pair of sandals. They trampled the poor into the dust. Father and son went in to the same girl, profaning God's holy name (2:7). They lay beside every altar on garments taken in pledge from the poor, which the law required to be returned by nightfall (2:8; Exodus 22:26-27), and drank wine bought with fines unjustly imposed.

God reminded them of His grace: He destroyed the mighty Amorites before them (2:9), brought them out of Egypt and led them forty years in the wilderness (2:10), and raised up prophets and Nazarites from their sons (2:11). "But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not" (2:12). They corrupted the devoted and silenced God's messengers. "Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves" (2:13). Judgment would be inescapable: the swift would not flee, the strong would not save himself, and the mighty would flee away naked (2:14-16).

Section II: Three Sermons Against Israel (Chapters 3-6)

Chapter 3 — Privilege and Responsibility

"Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt" (3:1).

You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

Amos 3:2

"Known" means chosen in a covenant relationship (Genesis 18:19). Israel assumed their election guaranteed safety; Amos taught that it increased their accountability. "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:48).

A series of questions shows that every effect has a cause: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (3:3). Does a lion roar without prey? Does a bird fall into a snare without a trap? "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?" (3:4-6). Disaster comes from God, and so does the prophet's message:

Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Amos 3:7-8

Amos had no choice but to speak. He called Philistia and Egypt to witness the oppression in Samaria, for "they know not to do right... who store up violence and robbery in their palaces" (3:9-10). An enemy would surround the land (3:11). Only a fragment would survive, as a shepherd rescues "out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear" (3:12), proof that the sheep had been devoured. God would destroy the altars of Bethel (3:14; fulfilled by Josiah, 2 Kings 23:15) "and I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish" (3:15).

Chapter 4 — "Yet Have Ye Not Returned"

Amos addressed the wealthy women of Samaria with startling bluntness:

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.

Amos 4:1

Bashan was famous for its fat cattle. These women demanded luxury from their husbands, paid for by oppressing the poor. They would be dragged away with hooks (4:2-3), as Assyrian reliefs show captives being led.

With biting sarcasm Amos invited Israel to its shrines: "Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression" (4:4). They loved their religious activity and boasted of their offerings (4:5), but it was sin. Then God listed the warnings He had sent, each followed by the same sad refrain:

These were the very covenant curses God had warned of (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28), meant to bring His people back. Since they would not return, they must face God Himself:

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

Amos 4:12-13

Every person will meet God, either as Saviour or as Judge (Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17:31).

Chapter 5 — Seek the LORD and Live

Amos took up a funeral lament for a nation still alive: "The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise" (5:2). Yet God still invited:

For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba

Amos 5:4-5

The people sought religious places instead of God Himself. "Seek the LORD, and ye shall live" (5:6). They had turned justice into bitterness (5:7). The God they ignored is the Creator: "Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning" (5:8). "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly" (5:10). They taxed the poor's grain and built houses of hewn stone they would never live in (5:11). "They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate" (5:12). "The prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time" (5:13).

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Amos 5:14-15

Israel looked forward to "the day of the LORD" as a day when God would defeat their enemies. Amos turned it upside down:

Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Amos 5:18-19

Then God's verdict on their worship:

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them... Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos 5:21-24

God does not want religious performance from people who live unjustly; He wants justice that flows like a never-failing river. Israel's idolatry went back to the wilderness, when they carried "the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god" (5:25-26). Stephen quoted this to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:42-43). "Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus" (5:27), to Assyria.

Chapter 6 — Woe to Those at Ease

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria

Amos 6:1

The leaders felt secure, "put far away the evil day" (6:3), and lived in luxury:

That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock... That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Amos 6:4-6

The sin was not enjoying good things but indifference to the nation's moral and spiritual ruin. "Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive" (6:7): the first in luxury would be the first in chains. "I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces" (6:8). Death would be so widespread that survivors would be afraid even to mention the LORD's name (6:9-10). "Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock" (6:12): perverting justice is as absurd as ploughing rock. They boasted of their own strength (6:13), but God would raise up a nation to afflict them from one end of the land to the other (6:14).

Section III: Five Visions of Judgment (Chapters 7-9:10)

Chapter 7 — Locusts, Fire, the Plumbline, and Amaziah

Vision 1: Locusts (7:1-3). God formed locusts to devour the late crop after the king's harvest. Amos interceded: "O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD."

Vision 2: Fire (7:4-6). A fire consumed the great deep and began to eat the land. Amos pleaded again, "cease, I beseech thee," and God relented. Intercession matters; the prayers of a righteous man avail much (James 5:16).

Vision 3: The plumbline (7:7-9). The Lord stood on a wall built true, with a plumbline in His hand.

Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more

Amos 7:8

A plumbline shows whether a wall is straight. Measured by God's standard, Israel was hopelessly crooked. This time Amos did not intercede. The high places and sanctuaries would be destroyed, and God would rise "against the house of Jeroboam with the sword" (7:9), fulfilled when Jeroboam's son Zechariah was assassinated (2 Kings 15:8-10).

Amos and Amaziah (7:10-17). Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, reported to King Jeroboam: "Amos hath conspired against thee... the land is not able to bear all his words" (7:10). He told Amos, "O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court" (7:12-13). The state religion served the king, not God. Amos replied:

I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Amos 7:14-15

Amos was not a hired religious professional; he spoke by God's direct call. He then pronounced judgment on Amaziah: his wife would be shamed, his children killed, his land divided, and he would die in a foreign land, "and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land" (7:16-17).

Chapter 8 — The Basket of Summer Fruit and the Famine of the Word

Vision 4: Summer fruit (8:1-3). God showed Amos a basket of ripe summer fruit (Hebrew qayits). "Then said the LORD unto me, The end [qets] is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more" (8:2). The wordplay made the point: Israel was ripe for judgment. Temple songs would become howling, and corpses would be everywhere (8:3).

Amos then exposed the greed of the merchants:

Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

Amos 8:4-6

They kept the holy days outwardly while impatient to get back to cheating: shrinking measures, inflating prices, rigging scales, enslaving the poor, and selling the sweepings with the grain (Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16). "The LORD hath sworn... Surely I will never forget any of their works" (8:7). The land would tremble (8:8).

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning... and I will make it as the mourning of an only son

Amos 8:9-10

A total solar eclipse occurred in 763 BC, recorded in Assyrian records, which may have given this image added force. Christians also see a striking picture of the darkness over the land at noon when Christ, God's only Son, died (Matthew 27:45), and of the mourning for Him "as one mourneth for his only son" (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37).

Then a terrible judgment:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Amos 8:11-12

Those who silenced the prophets (2:12; 7:12-13) would lose the word of God altogether. The worst judgment is God's silence (1 Samuel 28:6). After Malachi, there were about four hundred years without a prophetic word, until John the Baptist and Jesus. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

Chapter 9:1-10 — No Escape

Vision 5: The Lord at the altar (9:1). "I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake." The very place of false worship would collapse on the worshippers. There would be no escape:

Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent

Amos 9:2-3

Compare Psalm 139:7-12, where God's presence everywhere is a comfort to the believer; here it is a terror to the rebellious. God, who touches the earth and it melts (9:5-6), is sovereign over all nations: "Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?" (9:7). Israel's Exodus did not make them untouchable; God directs the movements of every people.

Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

Amos 9:8-9

God would scatter Israel among the nations but preserve a remnant; not one true grain would be lost. The sinners who said "The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us" would die by the sword (9:10).

Section IV: The Promise of Restoration (Chapter 9:11-15)

Chapter 9:11-15 — The Tabernacle of David Raised Up

After nine chapters of judgment, the book ends in glorious hope:

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

Amos 9:11-12

The "tabernacle" (booth or hut) of David was his royal house, which would fall into ruin, but God would rebuild it. At the Jerusalem council, when the apostles debated whether Gentiles must keep the law of Moses to be saved, James quoted this passage: "And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down... That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called" (Acts 15:15-17). Through Christ, the Son of David, God is gathering people from all nations into His kingdom, a work that will be completed when Christ reigns on David's throne (Luke 1:32-33).

The land will be so fruitful that "the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine" (9:13): harvests so abundant that one season runs into the next.

And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards... And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Amos 9:14-15

This promise of permanent restoration looks beyond the return from Babylon to the final regathering of Israel under the Messiah.

Part Three: Christ in Amos

Pictures and Prophecies of Christ

The Rebuilt House of David

The promise of Amos 9:11 shows that God's judgment on Israel was not the end of His covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The fallen royal house would be rebuilt in Christ. James's use of the passage in Acts 15 shows that the inclusion of believing Gentiles in God's people was part of God's plan all along, foretold by the prophets.

Part Four: Fulfilled Prophecies

Part Five: Key Passages in Depth

Amos 1-2 — The Circle of Judgment

Amos drew his listeners in by condemning their enemies, then their brother Judah, and finally landed the blow on Israel itself. God judges all nations by the light they have: the pagan nations for cruelty against conscience, Judah for rejecting His law, and Israel most fully because it had received the most (Romans 2:12-16).

Amos 3:2 — Privilege Brings Responsibility

Being God's chosen people did not exempt Israel from judgment; it made judgment more certain. Church members, Christian families and Bible-believing nations must remember that greater light brings greater accountability (Luke 12:47-48; 1 Peter 4:17).

Amos 4:6-12 — Ignored Warnings

God sent famine, drought, blight, plague and war, each time hoping His people would return. Five times He said, "Yet have ye not returned unto me." Hardships can be God's loving warnings (Hebrews 12:5-11). Those who ignore every warning must finally "prepare to meet thy God."

Amos 5:21-24 — Worship and Justice

God hated Israel's feasts, offerings and songs, not because worship is wrong, but because it was offered by people who oppressed the poor and perverted justice. True worship cannot be separated from righteous living (Isaiah 1:11-17; Micah 6:6-8; James 1:27). God wants justice and righteousness to flow continually, like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos 6:1-6 — The Sin of Complacency

The leaders of Israel were "at ease in Zion," enjoying luxury and entertainment, "but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph." Comfort can numb the conscience. Believers are called to care about the spiritual and moral condition of their nation and the suffering of others (Romans 12:15; Philippians 2:4).

Amos 7:14-15 — God Calls Ordinary People

Amos was a shepherd and fig farmer, not a trained prophet, yet God called him to confront a king and a priest. God often uses unlikely people (1 Corinthians 1:26-29), like the fishermen Jesus called (Acts 4:13).

Amos 8:11-12 — The Famine of the Word

A people who reject God's Word may find it taken away. Hearing God's Word is a privilege, not a right. Those who have access to Scripture should treasure it (Psalm 119:103; Hebrews 2:1-3).

Amos 9:11-15 — Hope After Judgment

God's final word is not destruction but restoration: the house of David rebuilt, the nations brought in, the land made fruitful, and Israel planted securely for ever. God keeps His covenant promises.

Part Six: The Major Teachings of Amos

1. God Is Sovereign over All Nations

He judges the nations (1-2), directs their movements (9:7), and controls history.

2. God Demands Justice and Righteousness

He cares how the poor, the weak and the defenceless are treated (2:6-8; 5:11-12, 24; 8:4-6).

3. Privilege Increases Responsibility

"You only have I known... therefore I will punish you" (3:2).

4. Empty Religion Is Hateful to God

Rituals without righteousness are worthless (4:4-5; 5:21-23).

5. God Warns Before He Judges

He sends warnings through circumstances (4:6-11) and prophets (3:7).

6. Seek God and Live

The way of life is to seek the LORD Himself, love good and hate evil (5:4, 6, 14-15).

7. The Danger of Complacency and Luxury

Ease, self-indulgence and indifference to others' suffering bring judgment (6:1-7).

8. The Power of Intercession

God relented twice in response to Amos's prayer (7:1-6).

9. The Word of God Is Precious

Silencing God's messengers leads to a famine of His Word (2:12; 7:12-13; 8:11-12).

10. God Preserves a Remnant and Restores

Israel would be sifted but not one true grain lost, and the house of David would be rebuilt (9:8-15).

Part Seven: Connections — How Amos Links to the Rest of the Bible

Amos in the New Testament

Amos in the Old Testament

Themes That Run from Amos Through Scripture

Part Eight: Practical Lessons

• God hears the cry of the oppressed; so should we (2:6-7).
• Never silence God's messengers or corrupt the devoted (2:12).
• The more you know, the more responsible you are (3:2).
• Walk in agreement with God (3:3).
• When God speaks, respond (3:8).
• Beware of luxury that blinds you to others' needs (4:1; 6:4-6).
• Let hardships turn you back to God (4:6-11).
• Prepare to meet your God (4:12).
• Seek the LORD Himself, not religious places or routines (5:4-6).
• Hate evil, love good, and stand for justice (5:15).
• Don't assume the Day of the Lord will be light for you (5:18).
• Let justice and righteousness flow from your life (5:24).
• Don't be at ease in Zion (6:1).
• Grieve over the spiritual condition of your nation (6:6).
• Intercede for others (7:2, 5).
• Measure your life by God's plumbline, not others' standards (7:7-8).
• Obey God's call even if you feel unqualified (7:14-15).
• Be honest in business (8:5).
• Treasure God's Word while you have it (8:11).
• There is no hiding from God (9:2-3).
• Trust God's promises of restoration (9:11-15).

Part Nine: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa whom God sent to preach at the royal sanctuary of a prosperous, religious and unjust nation. He heard the LORD roar like a lion against the cruelty of the nations, and then turned the full force of that roar on Israel, which sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes, lounged on ivory beds while ignoring the ruin of Joseph, and filled its shrines with songs and sacrifices while bribing judges and cheating the poor. God had sent famine, drought and plague, but "yet have ye not returned unto me." So Amos called them to "prepare to meet thy God," to seek the LORD and live, and to "let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." When a priest told him to go home, he answered that God had taken him from the flock. His visions announced the end, even a famine of the word of the LORD. Yet the book closes with hope: God will raise up the fallen tabernacle of David, bring in the nations who are called by His name, and plant His people in their land for ever. That promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David and Lion of Judah, the Righteous One sold for silver, the Word who ends the famine, and the King through whom all nations may seek the Lord and live.

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos 5:24