The Book of Amos was written by the prophet by the same name. The name means "burden," which seems appropriate for a man who was a shepherd in the desert south of Jerusalem. God called him to be a prophet preaching social justice, and he preached it roundly, along with his preaching against idolatrous religions and moral corruption. The key verse in this book is 3:1-2, "Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.'"