Let Justice Roll Down

18 Woe to you who desire (A)the day of the Lord!
    Why would you have the day of the Lord?
(B)It is darkness, and not light,
19     (C)as if a man fled from a lion,
    and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
    and a serpent bit him.
20 (D)Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 (E)“I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 (F)Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to (G)the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 (H)“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 (I)You (J)shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 (K)and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is (L)the God of hosts.

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The Day of the Lord

18 Woe to you who long
    for the day of the Lord!(A)
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?(B)
    That day will be darkness,(C) not light.(D)
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion
    only to meet a bear,(E)
as though he entered his house
    and rested his hand on the wall
    only to have a snake bite him.(F)
20 Will not the day of the Lord be darkness,(G) not light—
    pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?(H)

21 “I hate,(I) I despise your religious festivals;(J)
    your assemblies(K) are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings(L) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.(M)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.(N)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.(O)
24 But let justice(P) roll on like a river,
    righteousness(Q) like a never-failing stream!(R)

25 “Did you bring me sacrifices(S) and offerings
    forty years(T) in the wilderness, people of Israel?
26 You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
    the pedestal of your idols,(U)
    the star of your god[a]
    which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into exile(V) beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:26 Or lifted up Sakkuth your king / and Kaiwan your idols, / your star-gods; Septuagint lifted up the shrine of Molek / and the star of your god Rephan, / their idols