Reference

Amos 5:11

Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens 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 wine of them.
9

That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

10

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

11

Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens 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 wine of them.

12

For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.

13

Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Symbolic / Non-Fermented Wine

The verse explicitly mentions "wine" (yayin in Hebrew) in the context of drinking. There is no linguistic or contextual indicator within Amos 5:11 itself that suggests "wine" here refers to grape juice, new wine, or a non-fermented beverage. The verse is a judgment against the wealthy for their oppression, stating they will not enjoy the fruits of their labor, including the wine from their vineyards. The natural understanding of "wine" in this context, especially when paired with "drink," is the

Total Abstinence

This verse describes a punishment for injustice and exploitation, specifically mentioning the inability to enjoy the fruits of "pleasant vineyards" as part of that punishment, rather than condemning wine consumption itself. The focus is on the ill-gotten gains and their forfeiture, not on the inherent nature of wine.