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 see exactly what you're doing, all your countless wrongs and major sins. You're crushing good people, taking bribes, and blocking poor people from getting fair treatment in court.
God sees when you abuse power and ignore justice, there's no hiding systemic oppression from him.
📚 Historical Context
Amos was a shepherd and prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah who was sent by God to confront the northern kingdom of Israel around 760-750 BC, a time of relative prosperity but widespread social injustice and moral corruption. In this verse, God directly accuses the leaders and people of Israel of committing numerous sins, such as oppressing the righteous, accepting bribes in legal matters, and denying justice to the poor at the city gates, which were the public places for commerce and court proceedings. This reflects the overarching message of the book of Amos, emphasizing God's intolerance for exploitation and His impending judgment on a society that ignores the vulnerable.
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