--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is one thing to say with the prophet…" description: "\"It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, \"Let justice roll down like mighty waters,\" and quite another to work out the irrigation system.\" — Willi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png" --- # It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, "Let justice… ![“It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, "Let justice roll down like mighty waters," and quite another to work out the irrigation system.” quote by William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png) > “It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, "Let justice roll down like mighty waters," and quite another to work out the irrigation system.” [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justice requires concrete action, not just rhetoric; building structures that deliver fairness is essential. **In simple terms:** Justice needs implementation, not just words. Key Takeaway Actions matter more than slogans. Themes justice activism practicality systems social change Mood determined hopeful critical Type aphor call to action When to use this quote - policy drafting - grassroots organizing - nonprofit program design - urban planning Key Concepts ethical responsibility policy design community organization Practical Applications - advocacy campaigns - infrastructure projects Questions to Reflect On - How can we translate ideals into effective systems? - What obstacles prevent good intentions from becoming concrete outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amos-296346/) [Amos Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amos-let-959777/) [Irrigation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrigation/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Let Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-justice-612556/) [Mighty Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mighty-waters-959778/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet/) [Prophet Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet-amos-959776/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [In the stream.- Mighty waters draw much stone and rubble along with them; mighty spirits many stupid and bewildered heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-stream-mighty-waters-draw-much-stone-and-rubble-along-with/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“People are so intoxicated by intellectual pride that they laugh at the simple message of the gospel presented by humble witnesses (1 Cor. 1:18–31).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-w-wiersbe/people-are-so-intoxicated-by-intellectual-pride-that-they-laugh-at/) [Warren W. Wiersbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-w-wiersbe/) > [“Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-justice-roll-down-like-waters-and-righteousness-like-a-mighty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nor let us part with justice, like a cheap and common thing, for a small and trifling price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/nor-let-us-part-with-justice-like-a-cheap-and-common-thing-for-a/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Let us have justice, and then we shall have enough liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/let-us-have-justice-and-then-we-shall-have-enough-liberty/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [Let justice be done tho the heavens fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davitt/let-justice-be-done-tho-the-heavens-fall/) [Michael Davitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davitt/) > [“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (5:24).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-let-justice-roll-on-like-a-river-righteousness-like-a-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let justice be done though the heavens should fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/let-justice-be-done-though-the-heavens-should-fall/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I regularly see constituents, speak to people who feel let down by the justice system quite fundamentally, and these are people who don't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-xenophon/i-regularly-see-constituents-speak-to-people-who-feel-let-down-by-the/) [Nick Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-xenophon/) > [We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-understand-it-still-that-there-is-no-easy-road-to-freedom-we-know/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Though it cost the blood of millions of white men, let it come. Let justice be done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/though-it-cost-the-blood-of-millions-of-white-men-let-it-come-let/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Let there be freedom from perturbations with respect to the things which come from the external cause; and let there be justice in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/let-there-be-freedom-from-perturbations-with-respect-to-the-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Let justice be done upon him!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aragorn/let-the-lord-of-the-black-land-come-forth-let-justice-be-done-upon-him/) [Aragorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aragorn/) > [Let justice be done, though the world perish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emperor-ferdinand-i/let-justice-be-done-though-the-world-perish/) [Emperor Ferdinand I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emperor-ferdinand-i/) > [Fiat justitia et ruant coeli. Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall. See Ferdinand I 320:1.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-watson/fiat-justitia-et-ruant-coeli-let-justice-be-done-though-the-heavens/) [William Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-watson/) ## More by William Sloane Coffin > [“Joy is the most important Christian emotion. Duty calls only when gratitude fails to prompt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/joy-is-the-most-important-christian-emotion-duty-calls-only-when/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Every nation makes decisions based on self-interest and defends them on the basis of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/every-nation-makes-decisions-based-on-self-interest-and-defends-them/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“A friend...risks her friendship for the sake of her friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/a-friend-risks-her-friendship-for-the-sake-of-her-friend/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“We are not slaves but children of our Father, free to do good, free to sin. So when in anguish over any human violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-are-not-slaves-but-children-of-our-father-free-to-do-good-free-to/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [In our time all it takes for evil to flourish is for a few good men to be a little wrong and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/in-our-time-all-it-takes-for-evil-to-flourish-is-for-a-few-good-men/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [We have sold our birthright of freedom and justice for a mess of national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-have-sold-our-birthright-of-freedom-and-justice-for-a-mess-of/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“And if we exalt freedom as Christians, we must remember that freedom is grounded in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/and-if-we-exalt-freedom-as-christians-we-must-remember-that-freedom/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“It is terribly important to realize that the leap of faith is not so much a leap of thought as of action. For while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-terribly-important-to-realize-that-the-leap-of-faith-is-not-so/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [We must be governed by the force of law, not by the law of force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-must-be-governed-by-the-force-of-law-not-by-the-law-of-force/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Only reverence can restrain violence - reverence for human life and the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/only-reverence-can-restrain-violence-reverence-for-human-life-and-the/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“But what I am beginning to suspect is that most guilty people reject the possibility of forgiveness not because it is too good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/but-what-i-am-beginning-to-suspect-is-that-most-guilty-people-reject/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Of God's love we can say two things: it is poured out universally for everyone from the Pope to the loneliest wino on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/of-god-s-love-we-can-say-two-things-it-is-poured-out-universally-for/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“And if God is a suffering God, if this whole universe is borne on a heart infinite in compassion, then the more we suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/and-if-god-is-a-suffering-god-if-this-whole-universe-is-borne-on-a/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“...love does have a reward. Just as the proper benefits of education are the opportunities of continuing education, so the rewards of loving are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/love-does-have-a-reward-just-as-the-proper-benefits-of-education-are/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [ “Learning, and especially unlearning, can take place only in the absence of defensiveness… \[W\]e can drop our defenses only when we love and are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/learning-and-especially-unlearning-can-take-place-only-in-the-absence/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) [Explore all 106 William Sloane Coffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) ## More Irrigation quotes > [I know how to set an irrigation tube, and I helped with the harvest. I learned the law of the harvest without even knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/i-know-how-to-set-an-irrigation-tube-and-i-helped-with-the-harvest-i/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [Writing novels is the hardest thing I've ever done, including digging irrigation ditches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/writing-novels-is-the-hardest-thing-i-ve-ever-done-including-digging/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“Too many people talk about the weather, and not enough people talk about agriculture. When somebody says to me, "Beautiful weather we're having,” I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/too-many-people-talk-about-the-weather-and-not-enough-people-talk/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Surrounded by a burgeoning human population, Asian elephants have to contend with the spread of settlements and farming, and the demands of rapidly developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shand/surrounded-by-a-burgeoning-human-population-asian-elephants-have-to/) [Mark Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shand/) > [Agriculture looks different today - our farmers are using GPS and you can monitor your irrigation systems over the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/agriculture-looks-different-today-our-farmers-are-using-gps-and-you/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [Equally important is the lack of cultivable land for farmers, a profound problem when you take into account that Afghanistan has always largely been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/equally-important-is-the-lack-of-cultivable-land-for-farmers-a/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [More than one-half of the world's major rivers are being seriously depleted and polluted, degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, thus threatening the health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-serageldin/more-than-one-half-of-the-world-s-major-rivers-are-being-seriously/) [Ismail Serageldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-serageldin/) > [Globally, the highest number of irrigation projects are in India, and within the country, the highest number is in Maharashtra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/globally-the-highest-number-of-irrigation-projects-are-in-india-and/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [Our fish, our recreation, our irrigation and all our uses of the Missouri River are threatened if the drought continues and the Corps of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rounds/our-fish-our-recreation-our-irrigation-and-all-our-uses-of-the/) [Mike Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rounds/) > [We take for granted the slow miracle whereby water in the irrigation of a vineyard becomes wine. It is only when Christ turns water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/we-take-for-granted-the-slow-miracle-whereby-water-in-the-irrigation/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [To suggest that organic vegetables, which cost far more than conventional produce, can feed billions of people in parts of the world without roads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/to-suggest-that-organic-vegetables-which-cost-far-more-than/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Knowledge has always been important, of course. The ancient Egyptians did not raise the stones for the pyramids relying on the incantations of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/knowledge-has-always-been-important-of-course-the-ancient-egyptians/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Of all the works of civilization that interfere with the natural water distribution system, irrigation has been by far the most pervasive and powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/of-all-the-works-of-civilization-that-interfere-with-the-natural/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Everyone drank to popular education and to the irrigation of Uzbekistan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ilf/everyone-drank-to-popular-education-and-to-the-irrigation-of/) [Ilya Ilf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ilf/) > [My sense is that the most under-appreciated-and perhaps most under-researched-linkages between forests and food security are the roles that forest-based ecosystem services play in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-ford-seymour/my-sense-is-that-the-most-under-appreciated-and-perhaps-most-under/) [Frances Ford Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-ford-seymour/) [Browse all 53 Irrigation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrigation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, \"Let justice roll down like mighty waters,\" and quite another to work out the irrigation system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Sloane Coffin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet-amos-let-justice-roll-down/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Irrigation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet-amos-let-justice-roll-down/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/william-sloane-coffin-4839_irrigation_it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet_73686.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, \"Let justice roll down like mighty waters,\" and quite another…” — William Sloane Coffin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Sloane Coffin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is one thing to say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet-amos-let-justice-roll-down/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet-amos-let-justice-roll-down/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```