That’s because the Bible is a collection of writings from different authors at different times. In some ways, that makes it easier to approach the Bible: we can read it in “chunks” rather than needing to read the whole Bible at once. The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition. According to the Bible, Amos was an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, and was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II of Samaria, while Uzziah was King of Judah.
Amos is divided into three parts. Chapters 1-2 contain a series of messages to Israel and the other nations. Chapters 3-6 are a collection of poems, and chapters 7-9 detail a series of visions about God’s impending judgment upon Israel.
But it also makes it a bit confusing. The Bible itself is a book. In fact, the word “bible” comes from the Latin and Greek words for “book” (biblia and biblos, respectively). But it’s a book of books. That means if you want to know the Bible better, you’ll need to get acquainted with the 66 documents it comprises.
According to the Bible, Amos was an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, and was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II of Samaria, while Uzziah was King of Judah. Amos’s messages focus on Israel’s oppression of the poor and lack of justice. Amos consistently criticizes Israel’s worship life, which has deteriorated to rote ritual observance disconnected from daily life.
Amos is divided into three parts. Chapters 1-2 contain a series of messages to Israel and the other nations. Chapters 3-6 are a collection of poems, and chapters 7-9 detail a series of visions about God’s impending judgment upon Israel. The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition.
List of sections in the Book of Amos
In the Book of Amos, the text is divided into the following sections:
Chapters 1-2: Messages to Israel and the other nations
- Message to Israel (Chapter 1)
- Message to the Nations (Chapter 1)
- Message to Judah (Chapter 2)
- Message to Israel (Chapter 2)
Chapters 3-6: Collection of poems
- God’s Covenant relationship with Israel (Chapter 3)
- Exhortation to hear the word of the Lord (Chapter 4)
- Condemnation of the wealthy and powerful (Chapter 5)
- Call to seek the Lord and live (Chapter 5)
- Warning of impending judgment (Chapter 6)
Chapters 7-9: Visions of God’s impending judgment
- Vision of Locusts (Chapter 7)
- Vision of Fire (Chapter 7)
- Vision of the Plumb Line (Chapter 7)
- Vision of the Summer Fruit (Chapter 8)
- Vision of the Lord at the Altar (Chapter 9)
All 66 Books of the Bible and Their Authors
Pentateuch (The Law)
- Genesis – Moses
- Exodus – Moses
- Leviticus – Moses
- Numbers – Moses
- Deuteronomy – Moses
Historical Books
- Joshua – Joshua
- Judges – Samuel
- Ruth – Samuel
- 1 Samuel – Samuel
- 2 Samuel – Samuel
- 1 Kings – Jeremiah
- 2 Kings – Jeremiah
- 1 Chronicles – Ezra
- 2 Chronicles – Ezra
- Ezra – Ezra
- Nehemiah – Nehemiah
- Esther – Mordecai
Wisdom Literature
- Job – Moses
- Psalms – David and others
- Proverbs – Solomon and others
- Ecclesiastes – Solomon
- Song of Solomon – Solomon
Major Prophets
- Isaiah – Isaiah
- Jeremiah – Jeremiah
- Lamentations – Jeremiah
- Ezekiel – Ezekiel
- Daniel – Daniel
Minor Prophets
- Hosea – Hosea
- Joel – Joel
- Amos – Amos
- Obadiah – Obadiah
- Jonah – Jonah
- Micah – Micah
- Nahum – Nahum
- Habakkuk – Habakkuk
- Zephaniah – Zephaniah
- Haggai – Haggai
- Zechariah – Zechariah
- Malachi – Unknown
Books of the New Testament and Their Authors
Gospels
- Matthew – Matthew
- Mark – Mark
- Luke – Luke
- John – John
Historical Book
- Acts – Luke
Pauline Epistles
- Romans – Paul
- 1 Corinthians – Paul
- 2 Corinthians – Paul
- Galatians – Paul
- Ephesians – Paul
- Philippians – Paul
- Colossians – Paul
- 1 Thessalonians – Paul
- 2 Thessalonians – Paul
- 1 Timothy – Paul
- 2 Timothy – Paul
- Titus – Paul
- Philemon – Paul
General Epistles
- Hebrews – Unknown
- James – James
- 1 Peter – Peter
- 2 Peter – Peter
- 1 John – John
- 2 John – John
- 3 John – John
- Jude – Jude
Prophecy
- Revelation – John
Here’s a snapshot of every book of the Bible
I’ve written a one-sentence overview of every book of the Bible. They’re listed in the order they show up in the Protestant Bible. If you want more, I’ve linked to quick, 3-minute guides to every book of the Bible, too.
This is a lot to take in, so if you want to start with baby steps, check out this list of the shortest books of the Bible.