Amos 5:4-15
New American Standard Bible 1995
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel,
“(A)Seek Me (B)that you may live.
5 “But do not [a]resort to (C)Bethel
And do not come to (D)Gilgal,
Nor cross over to (E)Beersheba;
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity
And Bethel will [b]come to trouble.
6 “(F)Seek the Lord that you may live,
Or He will break forth like a (G)fire, [c]O house of Joseph,
And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,
7 For those who turn (H)justice into wormwood
And [d]cast righteousness down to the earth.”
8 He who made the (I)Pleiades and Orion
And (J)changes deep darkness into morning,
[e]Who also (K)darkens day into night,
Who (L)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
The (M)Lord is His name.
9 It is He who (N)flashes forth with destruction upon the strong,
So that (O)destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate him who (P)reproves in the [f]gate,
And they (Q)abhor him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore because you [g]impose heavy rent on the poor
And exact a tribute of grain from them,
Though you have built (R)houses of well-hewn stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will (S)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great,
You who (T)distress the righteous and accept bribes
And [h]turn aside the poor in the [i]gate.
13 Therefore at [j]such a time the prudent person (U)keeps silent, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live;
And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you,
(V)Just as you have said!
15 (W)Hate evil, love good,
And establish justice in the [k]gate!
Perhaps the Lord God of hosts
(X)May be gracious to the (Y)remnant of Joseph.
Footnotes
- Amos 5:5 Lit seek
- Amos 5:5 Or become iniquity
- Amos 5:6 Or in the house
- Amos 5:7 Lit they have put down
- Amos 5:8 Lit And He darkened
- Amos 5:10 I.e. the place where court was held
- Amos 5:11 Another reading is trample upon
- Amos 5:12 Lit they turn
- Amos 5:12 I.e. the place where court was held
- Amos 5:13 Lit that time
- Amos 5:15 I.e. the place where court was held
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.