Amos

Amos, a shepherd from Judah, was sent north to the prosperous kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC to thunder against its complacency. He denounces the surrounding nations and then Israel itself for trampling the poor, corrupting justice and trusting in empty religion.

His burning demand — 'Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' (5:24) — has made him the prophet of social justice. Amos warns that privilege brings responsibility and that ritual without righteousness is worthless, yet ends with a glimpse of restoration.