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

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

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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

Let Justice Roll On

21 “I hate—I despise—your festival days,
    and your solemn convocations stink.[a]
22 And[b] if you send up burnt offerings to me
    as well as your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
    nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle.
23 Spare me your noisy singing—
    I will not listen to your musical instruments.[c]

24 “But let justice roll on like many[d] waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing river.

25 “Was it to me that you brought offerings and gifts
    in the desert for 40 years, house of Israel?
26 And you carried the tent of your king[e]
    and Saturn,[f] your star god idols[g] that you crafted for yourselves.
27 So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord,
        whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:21 Lit. and I smell no pleasant scent in your solemn assemblies
  2. Amos 5:22 Lit. Because
  3. Amos 5:23 I.e. a stringed instrument such as a harp or lyre
  4. Amos 5:24 The Heb. lacks many
  5. Amos 5:26 LXX reads of Moloch; MT reads carried Sikkuth your king
  6. Amos 5:26 Lit. and Kiyyun
  7. Amos 5:26 So MT; LXX reads and the star of your God Raiphan, the images

21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.

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