Amos 5:11 (ASV)

Passage

Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.

Nearby Context

Amos 5:9 that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

Amos 5:10 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

Amos 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.

Amos 5:12 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].

Amos 5:13 Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "forasmuch", "therefore", "trample", "upon", "poor", "take", "exactions", and "wheat". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "forasmuch" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "They hate him that reproveth in the..." into verse 12's "For I know how manifold are your...", so "forasmuch" and "therefore" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "forasmuch" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.