Amos 8:4
New International Version
Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land,

New Living Translation
Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy!

English Standard Version
Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end,

Berean Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land,

King James Bible
Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

New King James Version
Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail,

New American Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land,

NASB 1995
Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land,

NASB 1977
Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land,

Legacy Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample the needy, even to cause the humble of the land to cease,

Amplified Bible
Hear this, you who trample down the needy, and do away with the poor of the land,

Christian Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land,

American Standard Version
Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

Contemporary English Version
You people crush those in need and wipe out the poor.

English Revised Version
Hear this, O ye that would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Listen to this, those who trample on the needy and ruin those who are oppressed in the world.

Good News Translation
Listen to this, you that trample on the needy and try to destroy the poor of the country.

International Standard Version
"Hear this, you who are swallowing up the needy, who intend to make the poor of the land fail,

Majority Standard Bible
Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land,

NET Bible
Listen to this, you who trample the needy, and do away with the destitute in the land.

New Heart English Bible
Hear this, you who trample the needy, and destroy the poor of the land,

Webster's Bible Translation
Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

World English Bible
Hear this, you who desire to swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Hear this, you who are swallowing up the needy, "" To cause the poor of the land to cease,

Young's Literal Translation
Hear this, ye who are swallowing up the needy, To cause to cease the poor of the land,

Smith's Literal Translation
Hear this, ye, panting after the needy, to cause the humble of the, land to cease.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Hear this, you that crush the poor, and make the needy of the land to fail,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Hear this, you who crush the poor and who make those in need of land to do without.

New American Bible
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land:

New Revised Standard Version
Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Hear this, O you who wrong the poor, and cause the needy of the land to come to an end,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Hear these things, despisers of the poor and destroyers of the afflicted of the land!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hear this, O ye that would swallow the needy, And destroy the poor of the land,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Hear now this, ye that oppress the poor in the morning, and drive the needy ones by tyranny from the earth,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Basket of Ripe Fruit
3“In that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!” 4Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, 5asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.…

Cross References
Micah 2:2
They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.

Isaiah 3:14-15
The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. / Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

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. ...

Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

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.

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.

Jeremiah 5:26-28
For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men. / Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. / 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.

Nehemiah 5:1-5
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. / Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” / Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” ...

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

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.

Luke 16:14
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

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 20:47
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”


Treasury of Scripture

Hear this, O you that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

Hear.

Amos 7:16
Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.

1 Kings 22:19
And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

Isaiah 1:10
Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

swallow.

Amos 2:6
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;

Amos 5:11
Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

Psalm 12:5
For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

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Cause Cease Crushing Desire Destroy Ear End Fail Hear Humble Needy Pant Poor Purpose Swallow Swallowing Trample
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Cause Cease Crushing Desire Destroy Ear End Fail Hear Humble Needy Pant Poor Purpose Swallow Swallowing Trample
Amos 8
1. By a basket of summer fruit is shown the approach of Israel's end.
4. Oppression is reproved.
11. A famine of the word of God threatened.














Hear this
The phrase "Hear this" is a call to attention, a divine imperative that demands the audience's focus. In Hebrew, the word "hear" is "שְׁמַע" (shema), which implies not just listening but also understanding and obeying. This echoes the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4, a central declaration of faith in Judaism. The call to "hear" is a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and His people, where hearing is linked to obedience and faithfulness.

you who trample the needy
The word "trample" suggests a violent, oppressive action. In Hebrew, "trample" can be linked to "דָּלַק" (dalak), meaning to pursue or chase. This imagery conveys not just physical oppression but a relentless pursuit of exploitation. The "needy" refers to those who are economically disadvantaged, often marginalized in society. Historically, Israel was called to care for the poor and vulnerable (Deuteronomy 15:11), and this indictment highlights a failure to uphold God's justice and mercy.

who do away with the poor of the land
The phrase "do away with" indicates a removal or destruction. In Hebrew, this can be associated with "שָׁבַת" (shavat), meaning to cease or rest, but in this context, it implies causing the poor to cease from the land, either through death or displacement. The "poor of the land" refers to those who are not just economically poor but also socially powerless. This reflects a broader societal injustice where the wealthy and powerful exploit the vulnerable, contrary to the biblical mandate to protect and uplift the poor (Proverbs 31:8-9).

(4) Ye that swallow up . . .--Better, ye that pant (or are greedy) for the very ashes on their heads.

Make . . . to fail.--Literally, make . . . to cease: i.e., destroy.

Verse 4. - The prophet, by admonishing the grandees of their iniquities, which they will not cast away, shows how ripe they are for judgment. That swallow up; better, that pant after (Amos 2:6, 7), like a beast after its prey, eager to devour. Even to make the poor of the land to fail; and cause the meek of the land to fail. They grasp at the property of the unresisting poor, adding field to field, and impoverishing them in various ways, to root them out of the land.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Hear
שִׁמְעוּ־ (šim·‘ū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

this,
זֹ֕את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

you who trample
הַשֹּׁאֲפִ֖ים (haš·šō·’ă·p̄îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7602: To inhale eagerly, to cover, to be angry, to hasten

on the needy,
אֶבְי֑וֹן (’eḇ·yō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 34: In want, needy, poor

who do away with
וְלַשְׁבִּ֖ית (wə·laš·bîṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7673: To repose, desist from exertion

the poor
עֲנִיֵּי־ (‘ă·nî·yê-)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6035: Poor, afflicted, humble, meek

of the land,
אָֽרֶץ׃ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6041: Poor, afflicted, humble


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OT Prophets: Amos 8:4 Hear this you who desire to swallow (Amo. Am)
Amos 8:3
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