Amos 2:14
New International Version
The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life.

New Living Translation
Your fastest runners will not get away. The strongest among you will become weak. Even mighty warriors will be unable to save themselves.

English Standard Version
Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life;

Berean Standard Bible
Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.

King James Bible
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

New King James Version
Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself;

New American Standard Bible
“Refuge will be lost from the swift, And the strong will not strengthen his power, Nor the warrior save his life.

NASB 1995
“Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life.

NASB 1977
“Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life.

Legacy Standard Bible
So flight will perish from the swift, And the strong will not instill his power with courage, Nor will the mighty man make his life escape.

Amplified Bible
“Flight will be lost to the swift [so they will be unable to escape], And the strong shall not strengthen nor maintain his power, Nor shall the mighty man save his own life.

Christian Standard Bible
Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not prevail by his strength, and the brave will not save his life.

American Standard Version
And flight shall perish from the swift; and the strong shall not strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;

Contemporary English Version
No matter how fast you run, you won't escape. No matter how strong you are, you will lose your strength and your life.

English Revised Version
And flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Runners will not be able to escape. Strong men will find that their strength is useless. Soldiers will not be able to save themselves.

Good News Translation
Not even fast runners will escape; strong men will lose their strength, and soldiers will not be able to save their own lives.

International Standard Version
So the swift runner will not escape, the valiant will not fortify his strength, and the mighty warrior will not save his life.

Majority Standard Bible
Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.

NET Bible
Fast runners will find no place to hide; strong men will have no strength left; warriors will not be able to save their lives.

New Heart English Bible
Flight will perish from the swift; and the strong won't strengthen his force; neither shall the mighty deliver himself;

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

World English Bible
Flight will perish from the swift. The strong won’t strengthen his force. The mighty won’t deliver himself.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And refuge has perished from the swift, "" And the strong does not strengthens his power, "" And the mighty does not deliver his soul.

Young's Literal Translation
And perished hath refuge from the swift, And the strong strengtheneth not his power, And the mighty delivereth not his soul.

Smith's Literal Translation
And flight perished from the swift; and the strong shall not strengthen his power, and the mighty shall not save his soul.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And flight shall perish from the swift, and the valiant shall not possess his strength, neither shall the strong save his life.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And flight will perish from the swift, and the strong will not maintain his strength, and the healthy will not save his life.

New American Bible
Flight shall elude the swift, and the strong shall not retain strength; The warrior shall not save his life,

New Revised Standard Version
Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain their strength, nor shall the mighty save their lives;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Therefore the power to run shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not possess his strength, neither shall the mighty deliver himself.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And speed shall be cut off from the fast, and the strong not will hold fast his power, and he that is mighty will not save himself
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And flight shall fail the swift, And the strong shall not exert his strength, Neither shall the mighty deliver himself;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And flight shall perish from the runner, and the strong shall not hold fast his strength, and the warrior shall not save his life:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment on Moab, Judah, and Israel
13Behold, I am about to crush you in your place as with a cart full of grain. 14Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life. 15The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life.…

Cross References
Isaiah 30:16-17
“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster. / A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

Jeremiah 46:5-6
Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD. / “The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall.

Psalm 33:16-17
No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. / A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

Proverbs 21:31
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.

Isaiah 31:1-3
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD. / Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers. / But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

Jeremiah 50:36-37
A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror. / A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered.

Ezekiel 7:14
They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one goes to war, for My wrath is upon the whole multitude.

Nahum 2:8
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

Zephaniah 1:14-18
The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. / That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, / a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. ...

Isaiah 13:7-8
Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. / Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

Jeremiah 51:30
The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze, the bars of her gates are broken.

1 Samuel 2:9
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.

Job 11:20
But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

Matthew 24:16-18
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. / Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. / And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

Luke 21:21
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city.


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:

the flight.

Amos 9:1-3
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…

Job 11:20
But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

himself.

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Amos 2
1. God's judgments upon Moab,
4. upon Judah,
6. and upon Israel.
9. God complains of their ingratitude.














Escape will fail the swift
The Hebrew word for "escape" is "מָנוֹס" (manos), which implies a place of refuge or flight. In the context of Amos, a prophet addressing the Northern Kingdom of Israel, this phrase underscores the futility of relying on one's own speed or agility to evade divine judgment. Historically, Israel had often relied on its military alliances and strategic prowess to escape threats. However, Amos warns that no human effort can circumvent the consequences of their disobedience to God. This serves as a reminder that true security is found not in human capabilities but in obedience to God.

the strong will not prevail by his strength
The term "strong" in Hebrew is "חָזָק" (chazaq), denoting physical power or might. The phrase emphasizes that even those who are physically powerful cannot rely on their own strength to overcome the impending judgment. In the ancient Near Eastern context, strength was often equated with military power and personal valor. Yet, Amos highlights a divine principle: human strength is insufficient when standing against the will of God. This reflects a broader biblical theme that true strength is found in reliance on God, as seen in the accounts of David and Goliath or Gideon's victory over the Midianites.

and the mighty will not save his life
The word "mighty" is translated from the Hebrew "גִּבּוֹר" (gibbor), which refers to a warrior or hero. This phrase indicates that even the most valiant and heroic individuals cannot secure their own salvation through their deeds or status. In the historical context of Israel, where warriors were celebrated and revered, this statement would have been a stark warning. It serves as a theological assertion that salvation is not achieved through human effort or heroism but through divine grace and mercy. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative that emphasizes faith and trust in God over human achievement.

(14) This doom Amos darkly foreshadows to be invasion and military overthrow, with all its attendant calamities.

Verse 14. - In this and the two following verses Amos individualizes the "pressure" that awaits them, when every means of resistance and escape shall fail. The flight shall perish from the swift. The swift of foot shall have no time or way to flee (Jeremiah 25:35; Jeremiah 46:6), Ewald, Pusey, Gandell, for "flight" render "place of flight, refuge," as Job 11:20; Psalm 142:5; Septuagint, φυγή: Vulgate, fuga. Shall not strengthen his force. The strong man shall not be able to collect or put forth his strength to any good purpose (comp. Proverbs 24:5; Nahum 2:1). Neither shall... himself. Some of the Greek manuscripts omit this clause. Deliver himself occurs three times - a kind of solemn refrain.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Escape
מָנוֹס֙ (mā·nō·ws)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4498: Flight, place of escape or refuge

will fail
וְאָבַ֤ד (wə·’ā·ḇaḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

the swift,
מִקָּ֔ל (miq·qāl)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7031: Light, swift, fleet

the strong
וְחָזָ֖ק (wə·ḥā·zāq)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2389: Strong, stout, mighty

will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

prevail
יְאַמֵּ֣ץ (yə·’am·mêṣ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 553: To be stout, strong, bold, alert

by his strength,
כֹּח֑וֹ (kō·ḥōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

and the mighty
וְגִבּ֖וֹר (wə·ḡib·bō·wr)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

save
יְמַלֵּ֥ט (yə·mal·lêṭ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

his life.
נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ (nap̄·šōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion


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OT Prophets: Amos 2:14 Flight will perish from the swift (Amo. Am)
Amos 2:13
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