Amos 5:12 For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

◄ Amos 5:12 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.

New American Standard Bible
For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great, You who are hostile to the righteous and accept bribes, And turn away the poor from justice at the gate.

NASB 1995
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.

NASB 1977
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes, And turn aside the poor in the gate.

Legacy Standard Bible
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty, You who distress the righteous and take bribes And turn aside the needy in the gate.

Amplified Bible
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great (shocking, innumerable), You who distress the righteous and take bribes, And turn away from the poor in the [court of the city] gate [depriving them of justice].

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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 gates.

American Standard Version
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins— ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.

Contemporary English Version
I am the LORD, and I know your terrible sins. You cheat honest people and take bribes; you rob the poor of justice.

English Revised Version
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I know that your crimes are numerous and your sins are many. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes. You deny the needy access to the courts.

Good News Translation
I know how terrible your sins are and how many crimes you have committed. You persecute good people, take bribes, and prevent the poor from getting justice in the courts.

International Standard Version
and because I know that your transgressions are many, and your sins are numerous as you oppose the righteous, taking bribes as a ransom, and turning away the poor in court —

Majority Standard Bible
For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

NET Bible
Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate.

New Heart English Bible
For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins--you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
For I know how many are your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
For I have known—many [are] your transgressions, "" And mighty your sins, "" Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, "" And you turned aside the needy in the gate.

Young's Literal Translation
For I have known -- many are your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside.

Smith's Literal Translation
For I knew your many transgressions, and your strong sins: pressing upon the just, taking a ransom, and they turned away the needy in the gate.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because I know your manifold crimes, and your grievous sine: enemies of the just, taking bribes, and oppressing the poor in the gate.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For I know your many wicked deeds and the strength of your sins, you enemies of the just, accepting bribes, and depriving the poor at the gate.

New American Bible
Yes, I know how many are your crimes, how grievous your sins: Oppressing the just, accepting bribes, turning away the needy at the gate.

New Revised Standard Version
For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great; you oppress the just, you take a bribe, and you turn aside the cause of the poor in the gate from their right.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because I know that your offenses are many and your sins mighty, the oppressors of the Righteous One have taken a bribe, and the poor in the gate they have turned away

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, And how mighty are your sins; Ye that afflict the just, that take a ransom, And that turn aside the needy in the gate.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For I know your many transgressions, and your sins are great, trampling on the just, taking bribes, and turning aside the judgment of the poor in the gates.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

A Call to Repentance
…11Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. 12For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate. 13Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Micah 3:9-11
Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right, / who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity. / Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Jeremiah 5:28
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

Ezekiel 22:29
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have exploited the foreign resident without justice.

Habakkuk 1:4
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Zechariah 7:9-10
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. / Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Proverbs 17:23
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

Exodus 23:6-8
You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. / Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty. / Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

James 5:1-6
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ...

Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: / “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. / And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ...

Treasury of Scripture

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.

I know.

Deuteronomy 31:21
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

Isaiah 66:18
For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

Jeremiah 29:23
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

manifold.

2 Kings 17:7-17
For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, …

Isaiah 47:9
But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

they afflict.

Amos 2:6,7,16
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; …

Acts 3:13,14
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go…

Acts 7:52
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

take.

1 Samuel 8:3
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Psalm 26:9,10
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: …

Isaiah 1:23
Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

bribe.

Amos 2:7
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:

Isaiah 10:2
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

Isaiah 29:21
That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

in the.

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Amos 5

1. A lamentation for Israel.
4. An exhortation to repentance.
21. God rejects their hypocritical service.

Berean Study Bible

For I know
This phrase emphasizes God's omniscience. The Hebrew root "yada" conveys an intimate, comprehensive knowledge. God is not distant or unaware; He is fully cognizant of the actions and hearts of His people. This serves as a reminder that nothing is hidden from God, and His awareness is both a comfort and a warning.

your transgressions are many
The word "transgressions" comes from the Hebrew "pesha," which implies rebellion or a breach of trust. The multiplicity of transgressions indicates a habitual and systemic departure from God's laws. Historically, Israel was in a period of prosperity, yet their moral and spiritual decay was rampant, highlighting the danger of complacency in times of abundance.

and your sins are numerous
"Sins" here is derived from the Hebrew "chatta'ah," meaning to miss the mark. The repetition of "many" and "numerous" underscores the gravity and extent of their wrongdoing. This reflects a society deeply entrenched in sin, where deviation from God's standards has become the norm.

You oppress the righteous
The term "oppress" is from the Hebrew "ashaq," which means to exploit or crush. The "righteous" refers to those who live in accordance with God's laws. This phrase indicates a perversion of justice, where those who should be protected and honored are instead mistreated. It is a call to recognize the moral decay where power is used to harm rather than uphold justice.

taking bribes
"Bribes" in Hebrew is "shochad," which corrupts justice and perverts the course of fairness. In ancient Israel, the legal system was often conducted at the city gates, and bribery undermined the integrity of these proceedings. This highlights the moral corruption that had infiltrated the leadership and judicial systems.

and depriving the poor of justice at the gates
The "gates" were the place of legal transactions and judgments. "Depriving" comes from the Hebrew "natah," meaning to turn aside or pervert. The poor, often the most vulnerable in society, were denied justice, reflecting a societal failure to protect those in need. This phrase calls for a return to God's heart for justice and care for the marginalized, emphasizing the biblical mandate to defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) I know.--Most of the commentators imply that the "I" is Jehovah, but it is more likely to be the prophet himself. The adjectives "manifold," "mighty," should be rendered as predicates, That manifold are your transgressions, and mighty your sins, ye afflicters of the just and takers of a bribe, and ye who bow down the poor in the gate. The idea involved in the word rendered "bribe" is the ransom which the poor and defenceless were obliged to pay to a tyrannical judge, in order to escape a harsh sentence. The "gate" is the place where judgment is passed by the chief men.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Your punishment is richly deserved, for "I know how many are your transgressions and how mighty are your sins," especially, as it follows, your sins of oppression and injustice. They afflict the just. The construction is continuous: "afflicters of the just." Hostes justi (Vulgate); καταπατοῦντες δίκαιον, "trampling down the just" (Septuagint); comp. Wisd. 2:12-15. They take a bribe. The translation of kopher as "bribe" is justified, perhaps, by 1 Samuel 12:3; but the word is elsewhere used for "ransom," redemption money paid to escape the consequences of crime (Proverbs 6:35), in direct opposition to the Law in Numbers 35:31, which forbade any ransom to be taken for the life of a murderer. The Septuagint has, λαμβάνοντες ἀλλάγματα "taking wares;" the Vulgate (with which the Syriac agrees), accipientes munus. Turn aside the poor in the gate from their right; or, bow down the needy in the gate, i.e. in the place of judgment (see note on ver. 10). Vulgate, pauperes deprimentes in porta; Septuagint, πένητας ἐν πύλαις ἐκκλίνοντες, "turning aside the poor in the gates." The crime specified is that of wresting judgment in the case of the poor, or not giving the poor man justice unless he could pay for it (comp. Exodus 23:6; Deuteronomy 16:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I know
יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ (yā·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

your transgressions
פִּשְׁעֵיכֶ֔ם (piš·‘ê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 6588: Transgression

are many
רַבִּ֣ים (rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

and your sins
חַטֹּֽאתֵיכֶ֑ם (ḥaṭ·ṭō·ṯê·ḵem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

are innumerable.
וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים (wa·‘ă·ṣu·mîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6099: Powerful, numerous

You oppress
צֹרְרֵ֤י (ṣō·rə·rê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped

the righteous,
צַדִּיק֙ (ṣad·dîq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

taking
לֹ֣קְחֵי (lō·qə·ḥê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3947: To take

bribes,
כֹ֔פֶר (ḵō·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3724: A cover, a village, bitumen, the henna plant, a redemption-price

and depriving the poor
וְאֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים (wə·’eḇ·yō·w·nîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 34: In want, needy, poor

of justice
הִטּֽוּ׃ (hiṭ·ṭū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

at the gates.
בַּשַּׁ֥עַר (baš·ša·‘ar)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

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OT Prophets: Amos 5:12 For I know how many your offenses (Amo. Am)