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Seek Me That You May Live

Hear this word which I take up for you as a funeral (A)lament, O house of Israel:
She has fallen; she will (B)not rise again—
The (C)virgin Israel.
She lies abandoned on her land;
There is (D)none to raise her up.

For thus says Lord Yahweh,

“The city which goes forth one thousand strong
Will have one (E)hundred left,
And the one which goes forth one hundred strong
Will have (F)ten left to the house of Israel.”

For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel,

(G)Seek Me (H)that you may live.
But do not seek (I)Bethel,
And do not come to (J)Gilgal,
Nor cross over to (K)Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into [a]exile,
And Bethel will become [b]evil.
(L)Seek Yahweh that you may live,
Lest He come mightily like a (M)fire, [c]O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
For those who overturn (N)justice into wormwood
And put righteousness down to the earth.”

He who made the (O)Pleiades and Orion
And (P)overturns the shadow of death into morning,
[d]Who also (Q)darkens day into night,
Who (R)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
(S)Yahweh is His name.
It is He who (T)flashes forth with devastation upon the strong
So that (U)devastation comes upon the fortification.

10 They hate him who (V)reproves in the [e]gate,
And they (W)abhor him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore because you [f]impose heavy rent on the poor
And take a tribute of grain from them,
Though you have built (X)houses of cut stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted desirable vineyards, yet you will (Y)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty,
You who (Z)distress the righteous and take bribes
And [g]turn aside the needy in the [h]gate.
13 Therefore at [i]such a time the one with insight (AA)keeps silent, for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, in order that you may live;
And thus may Yahweh God of hosts be with you,
(AB)Just as you have said!
15 (AC)Hate evil, love good,
And set justice at the [j]gate!
Perhaps Yahweh God of hosts
(AD)May be gracious to the (AE)remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says Yahweh God of hosts, the Lord,

“There is (AF)wailing in all the plazas,
And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They also call the (AG)farmer to mourning
And [k](AH)professional weepers to wailing.
17 And in all the (AI)vineyards there is wailing
Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says Yahweh.

18 Woe, you who are longing for the (AJ)day of Yahweh,
For what purpose will the day of Yahweh be to you?
It will be (AK)darkness and not light;
19 As when a man (AL)flees from a lion
And a bear meets him;
[l]Or he goes home, leans his hand against the wall,
And a snake bites him.
20 Will not the day of Yahweh be (AM)darkness instead of light,
Even thick darkness with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I (AN)reject your feasts,
Nor do I [m](AO)delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you (AP)offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the (AQ)peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 Remove from Me the tumult of your songs;
I will not even listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let (AR)justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 [n](AS)Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel? 26 (AT)You also carried along [o]Sikkuth your king and [p]Kiyyun, your images, [q]the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:5 Gilgal sounds like Heb root galah, which means to go into exile
  2. Amos 5:5 Or Beth Aven, cf. Hos 4:15; 5:8; 10:5
  3. Amos 5:6 Or in the house
  4. Amos 5:8 Lit And He darkened
  5. Amos 5:10 The place where court was held
  6. Amos 5:11 Or trample upon
  7. Amos 5:12 Lit they turn
  8. Amos 5:12 The place where court was held
  9. Amos 5:13 Lit that time
  10. Amos 5:15 The place where court was held
  11. Amos 5:16 Lit those who know lamentation
  12. Amos 5:19 Or Then
  13. Amos 5:21 Lit like to smell
  14. Amos 5:25 Or You presented Me with the sacrifices and a grain offering
  15. Amos 5:26 Or Sakkuth (Saturn), shrine of your Moloch
  16. Amos 5:26 Or Kaiwan (Saturn), stands of
  17. Amos 5:26 Or your star gods

哀嘆以色利人傾覆

以色列家啊,要聽我為你們所作的哀歌: 以色列[a]跌倒,不得再起;躺在地上,無人攙扶。 主耶和華如此說:「以色列家的城,發出一千兵的只剩一百,發出一百的只剩十個。」

勸其尋主得生

耶和華向以色列家如此說:「你們要尋求我,就必存活。 不要往伯特利尋求,不要進入吉甲,不要過到別是巴,因為吉甲必被擄掠,伯特利也必歸於無有。」 要尋求耶和華,就必存活,免得他在約瑟家像火發出,在伯特利焚燒無人撲滅。 你們這使公平變為茵陳,將公義丟棄於地的, 要尋求那造昴星和參星,使死蔭變為晨光,使白日變為黑夜,命海水來澆在地上的,耶和華是他的名。 他使力強的忽遭滅亡,以致保障遭遇毀壞。

10 你們怨恨那在城門口責備人的,憎惡那說正直話的。 11 你們踐踏貧民,向他們勒索麥子。你們用鑿過的石頭建造房屋,卻不得住在其內;栽種美好的葡萄園,卻不得喝所出的酒。 12 我知道你們的罪過何等多,你們的罪惡何等大,你們苦待義人,收受賄賂,在城門口屈枉窮乏人。 13 所以通達人見這樣的時勢,必靜默不言,因為時勢真惡。

14 你們要求善,不要求惡,就必存活。這樣,耶和華萬軍之神必照你們所說的,與你們同在。 15 要惡惡好善,在城門口秉公行義,或者耶和華萬軍之神向約瑟的餘民施恩。

16 主耶和華萬軍之神如此說:「在一切寬闊處必有哀號的聲音,在各街市上必有人說:『哀哉!哀哉!』又必叫農夫來哭號,叫善唱哀歌的來舉哀。 17 在各葡萄園必有哀號的聲音,因為我必從你中間經過。」這是耶和華說的。

18 想望耶和華日子來到的有禍了!你們為何想望耶和華的日子呢?那日黑暗沒有光明, 19 景況好像人躲避獅子又遇見熊,或是進房屋以手靠牆,就被蛇咬。 20 耶和華的日子不是黑暗沒有光明嗎?不是幽暗毫無光輝嗎?

獻祭不誠主不悅納

21 「我厭惡你們的節期,也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。 22 你們雖然向我獻燔祭和素祭,我卻不悅納,也不顧你們用肥畜獻的平安祭。 23 要使你們歌唱的聲音遠離我,因為我不聽你們彈琴的響聲。 24 唯願公平如大水滾滾,使公義如江河滔滔。

25 以色列家啊,你們在曠野四十年,豈是將祭物和供物獻給我呢? 26 你們抬著為自己所造之摩洛的帳幕和偶像的龕,並你們的神星。 27 所以,我要把你們擄到大馬士革以外。」這是耶和華,名為萬軍之神說的。

Footnotes

  1. 阿摩司書 5:2 「民」原文作「處女」。

劝以色列人悔改

以色列家啊,
听我为你们唱哀歌:
“处女以色列跌倒了,
再也站不起来;
她被遗弃在自己的土地上,
无人扶她起来。”
因为主耶和华说:
“以色列家的城邑中,
出兵一千的,只有百人生还;
出兵一百的,只有十人生还。”

耶和华对以色列家说:
“你们要寻求我,才能存活。
不要去伯特利求问,
不要进入吉甲,
也不要前往别示巴,
因为吉甲人必被掳去,
伯特利也必化为乌有。”
你们要寻求耶和华,才能存活。
否则,祂要在约瑟家[a]如烈火爆发,
吞噬伯特利,无人能扑灭。
你们这些使正义变为苦艾、将公义丢弃在地的人啊,
那位造昴星和参星,
使幽暗变为黎明,
使白昼变为黑夜,
召来海水浇在大地上的——
祂的名字是耶和华。
祂使毁灭如闪电临到强者,
摧毁他们的坚城。

10 你们憎恨在城门口主持公道的人,
厌恶正直的人。
11 你们践踏穷人,
对他们横征暴敛。
因此,你们用凿过的石头建房,
却不得居住在里面;
你们种植佳美的葡萄园,
却喝不到葡萄酒。
12 我知道你们的过犯众多、罪恶无数。
你们迫害义人,收受贿赂,
在城门口冤枉穷人。
13 这是邪恶的时代,
所以明智者静默不言。
14 你们要弃恶从善,才能存活。
这样,万军之上帝耶和华必与你们同在,
正如你们所说的。
15 你们要恨恶邪恶,喜爱良善,
在城门口伸张正义,
也许万军之上帝耶和华会恩待约瑟的余民。

16 因此,主——万军之上帝耶和华说:
“哀号之声要响遍各广场,
哭喊之声将充满大街小巷。
农夫被叫来哭泣,
哭丧者被召来哀号。
17 每个葡萄园都传出哀恸的声音,
因为我要从你们中间经过,惩罚你们。
这是耶和华说的。”

18 盼望耶和华的日子到来的人有祸了!
你们为什么盼望耶和华的日子呢?
那日将带来黑暗,而非光明。
19 你们的光景将好像人逃避狮子,
却遇上了熊,
逃回家里,手扶墙壁,
又被蛇咬。
20 耶和华的日子将充满黑暗,毫无光明,
一片漆黑,
毫无亮光。

21 “我憎恶、鄙弃你们的节期,
厌恶你们的圣会。
22 即使你们献上燔祭和素祭,
我也不悦纳;
即使你们用肥美的牲畜献上平安祭,
我也不屑一顾。
23 撤去你们嘈杂的歌声吧,
我不想听到你们的琴音。
24 惟愿公正如江河滔滔不尽,
公义如溪流绵绵不绝。
25 以色列家啊,
在旷野的四十年间,
你们向我献过祭物和供品吗?
26 你们抬着为自己造的神像——
你们的王撒固和星神迦温。
27 所以,我要使你们被掳到大马士革以外的地方。”
这是耶和华说的,祂的名字是万军之上帝。

Footnotes

  1. 5:6 约瑟家”此处指约瑟的子孙以法莲和玛拿西两个支派,圣经中有时用约瑟家代指北国以色列。