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For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel,

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

He who made the (I)Pleiades and Orion
And (J)overturns the shadow of death into morning,
[d]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,
(M)Yahweh is His name.
It is He who (N)flashes forth with devastation upon the strong
So that (O)devastation comes upon the fortification.

10 They hate him who (P)reproves in the [e]gate,
And they (Q)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 (R)houses of cut stone,
Yet you will not live in them;
You have planted desirable vineyards, yet you will (S)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are mighty,
You who (T)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 (U)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,
(V)Just as you have said!
15 (W)Hate evil, love good,
And set justice at the [j]gate!
Perhaps Yahweh God of hosts
(X)May be gracious to the (Y)remnant of Joseph.

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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

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

(A)“Seek me and live;
    but do not seek (B)Bethel,
and do not enter into (C)Gilgal
    or cross over to (D)Beersheba;
for (E)Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
    and (F)Bethel shall come to nothing.”

(G)Seek the Lord and live,
    (H)lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
    and it devour, with none to quench it for (I)Bethel,
O (J)you who turn justice to wormwood[a]
    and cast down righteousness to the earth!

He who made the (K)Pleiades and Orion,
    and turns deep darkness into the morning
    and (L)darkens the day into night,
who (M)calls for the waters of the sea
    (N)and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
(O)the Lord is his name;
(P)who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
    so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 (Q)They hate him who reproves (R)in the gate,
    and they (S)abhor him who speaks the truth.
11 Therefore because you (T)trample on[b] the poor
    and you exact taxes of grain from him,
(U)you have built houses of hewn stone,
    but you shall not dwell in them;
(V)you have planted pleasant vineyards,
    but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions
    and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who (W)take a bribe,
    and (X)turn aside the needy (Y)in the gate.
13 Therefore he who is prudent will (Z)keep silent in such a time,
    (AA)for it is an evil time.

14 (AB)Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the Lord, (AC)the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
15 (AD)Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice (AE)in the gate;
(AF)it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:7 Or to bitter fruit
  2. Amos 5:11 Or you tax