Amos 2:15

New Living Translation

The archers will not stand their ground. The swiftest runners won't be fast enough to escape. Even those riding horses won't be able to save themselves.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
People with bows and arrows will not survive. Fast runners will not escape. People on horses will not escape alive.

New American Standard Bible
"The one who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will the one who rides the horse save his life.

New Century Version
Soldiers with bows and arrows will not stand and fight, and even fast runners will not get away; soldiers on horses will not escape alive.

New English Translation
Archers will not hold their ground; fast runners will not save their lives, nor will those who ride horses.

Update Bible Version
neither shall he stand that handles the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]; neither shall he that rides the horse deliver himself;

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and [he that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

Amplified Bible
"He who handles the bow will not stand his ground, The one who is swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life [from the invading army].

English Standard Version
he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

World English Bible
Neither shall he stand who handles the bow; And he who is swift of foot won't escape; Neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he that holdith a bowe schal not stonde, and a swift man schal not be sauyd by hise feet; and the stiere of an hors schal not saue his lijf,

English Revised Version
neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself:

Berean Standard Bible
The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life.

Contemporary English Version
Even if you are an expert with a bow and arrow, you will retreat. And you won't get away alive, not even if you run fast or ride a horse.

American Standard Version
neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself; neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself;

Bible in Basic English
And the bowman will not keep his place; he who is quick-footed will not get away safely: and the horseman will not keep his life.

Complete Jewish Bible
Archers won't be able to stand, the fastest runners won't save themselves, those on horses won't save themselves.

Darby Translation
Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and the swift of foot shall not escape, and he that rideth the horse shall not deliver his soul;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself; neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself;

King James Version (1611)
Neither shall hee stand that handleth the bow, and hee that is swift of foote, shall not deliuer himselfe, neither shall hee that rideth the horse, deliuer himselfe.

New Life Bible
He who uses the bow will not stand. The fast runner will not get away. The horseman will not save his life.

New Revised Standard
those who handle the bow shall not stand, and those who are swift of foot shall not save themselves, nor shall those who ride horses save their lives;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nor he that handleth the bowe, shal stand, and he that is swift of foote, shall not escape, neyther shall he that rideth the horse, saue his life.

George Lamsa Translation
And he that handles the bow shall not stand; and he who is a fast runner shall not deliver himself; neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Nor, he that handleth the bow, make a stand, and, the swift on his feet, shall not escape, - nor, he that rideth on a horse, escape with his life:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that holdeth the bow shall not stand, and the swift of foot shall not escape, neither shall the rider of the horse save his life.

Revised Standard Version
he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nor he that handleth the bowe shall stande, nor he that is swift of foote shall escape, neither shall he that rydeth the horse, saue his life.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and the archer shall not withstand, and he that is swift of foot shall in no wise escape; and the horseman shall not save his life.

Good News Translation
Archers will not stand their ground, fast runners will not get away, and men on horses will not escape with their lives.

Christian Standard Bible®
The archer will not stand his ground,the one who is swift of footwill not save himself,and the one riding a horse will not save his life.

Hebrew Names Version
Neither shall he stand who handles the bow; And he who is swift of foot won't escape; Neither shall he who rides the horse deliver himself;

King James Version
Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.

Lexham English Bible
And the one who takes hold of the bow will not stand and the one who is swift on his feet will not save himself, nor will the one who rides the horse save his life.

Literal Translation
and he who handles the bow shall not stand, and the swift footed shall not save, and the horse rider shall not save his life.

Young's Literal Translation
And the handler of the bow standeth not, And the swift with his feet delivereth not [himself], And the rider of the horse delivereth not his soul.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The archer shall not abyde, and the swifte off fote shall not escape. The horsma shal not saue his life,

New King James Version
He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground,The swift of foot will not escape,Nor will he who rides the horse make his life escape.

Contextual Overview

⁹ "But as my people watched, I destroyed the Amorites, though they were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed the fruit on their branches and dug out their roots. ¹⁰ It was I who rescued you from Egypt and led you through the desert for forty years, so you could possess the land of the Amorites. ¹¹ I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?" asks the Lord . ¹² "But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink wine, and you commanded the prophets, ‘Shut up!' ¹³ "So I will make you groan like a wagon loaded down with sheaves of grain. ¹⁴ Your fastest runners will not get away. The strongest among you will become weak. Even mighty warriors will be unable to save themselves. ¹⁵ The archers will not stand their ground. The swiftest runners won't be fast enough to escape. Even those riding horses won't be able to save themselves. ¹⁶ On that day the most courageous of your fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives," says the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

neither: Psalms 33:16, Psalms 33:17

himself: Heb. his soul, or life

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 20:30 - a wall Jeremiah 11:11 - which Jeremiah 46:6 - not Jeremiah 48:44 - that fleeth Jeremiah 52:8 - General Amos 9:1 - shall not flee

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.

Genesis 2:8
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.

Job 31:33
"Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart?

Psalms 128:2
You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!

Ephesians 4:28
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow,.... That is, at some distance, and can make use of his instruments of war afar off; yet will not think it safe to stand his ground, but will betake himself to his heels as fast as he can to save himself:

and [he that is] swift of foot shall not deliver [himself]; this is repeated, lest any should place confidence in their agility, and to show how complete and inevitable the affliction will be:

neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself; by fleeing on horseback, no more than he that is on foot; no ways that can be devised or thought on would preserve from this general calamity; see Psalms 33:17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Israel relied, against God, on his own strength. “Have we not,” they said, “taken to us horns by our own strength?” Amos 6:13. Amos tells them then, that every means of strength, resistance, flight, swiftness of foot, of horse, place of refuge, should fail them. Three times he repeats, as a sort of dirge, “he shall not deliver himself.”

Therefore the flight shall perish - (Probably place of flight Job 11:20; Psalms 142:5; Jeremiah 25:35). They had despised God, as their “place of refuge” , so “the place of refuge, should perish from the swift,” as though it were not. He should flee amain, but there would be no “place to flee unto.” God alone “renews strength;” therefore “the strong” man should not “strengthen his force or might,” should not be able to gather or “collect his strength” as we say. Fear should disable him. “The handler of the bow” (as in Jeremiah 46:9), and who by habit is a skilled archer, although himself out of the immediate reach of the enemy, and able, unharmed, to annoy him and protect the fugitives, “shall not stand” (as in Jeremiah 46:21; Nahum 2:8). Panic should overtake him. The “mighty” man, the “fleet of foot” should “not deliver,” yea, “the horseman” should not “deliver himself;” yea, he who, “among the mighty,” was “strongest of his heart,” firm-souled among those of mightiest prowess, “shall flee away naked,” that is, bared of all, armor or dress, which might encumber his flight “in that day” which the Lord made a day of terror His own day.

Saith the Lord - Probably literally, “the secret utterance of the Lord.” Amos, more than Hosea, uses this special authentication of his words , which is so common in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He claims a knowledge, which those around him had not, and ratifies it by the express appeal to the direct, though secret, revelation of God; what those who were not of God, would deny; what they who were of God, would believe.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 2:15. Neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. — I believe all these sayings, Amos 2:13-16, are proverbs, to show the inutility of all attempts, even in the best circumstances, to escape the doom now decreed, because the cup of their iniquity was full.