Amos 5:4-15
Modern English Version
4 Indeed, thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
Seek Me and live!
5 But do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal will surely go into captivity,
and Bethel shall be no more.
6 Seek the Lord and live,
or He will break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it will devour Bethel,
with no one to quench it.
7 You who turn justice into bitterness
and cast righteousness down to the ground!
8 The One who made the Pleiades and Orion,
who turns the deep darkness into dawn
and darkens the day into night,
who summons the waters of the sea
and pours them out on the surface of the earth—
the Lord is His name,
9 the One who flashes destruction against the strong,
so that destruction comes against the fortress.
10 They hate the one who prosecutes at the gate,
and abhor the one who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor
and take from him a levy of wheat,
though you have built houses of hewn stone,
you will not dwell in them;
though you have planted pleasant vineyards,
you will not drink their wine.
12 For I know your transgressions are many
and your sins are grievous,
you who oppress the just,
who take a bribe and subvert the needy at the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent are silent at such a time,
for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
so that you may live;
then the Lord, the God of Hosts, will truly be with you,
as you claim.
15 Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice at the gate.
It may then be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious
to the remnant of Joseph.
Amos 5:4-15
New King James Version
A Call to Repentance
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
(A)“Seek Me (B)and live;
5 But do not seek (C)Bethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to (D)Beersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And (E)Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 (F)Seek the Lord and live,
Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it,
With no one to quench it in Bethel—
7 You who (G)turn justice to wormwood,
And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”
8 He made the (H)Pleiades and Orion;
He turns the shadow of death into morning
(I)And makes the day dark as night;
He (J)calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
(K)The Lord is His name.
9 He [a]rains ruin upon the strong,
So that fury comes upon the fortress.
10 (L)They hate the one who rebukes in the gate,
And they (M)abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
11 (N)Therefore, because you [b]tread down the poor
And take grain [c]taxes from him,
Though (O)you have built houses of hewn stone,
Yet you shall not dwell in them;
You have planted [d]pleasant vineyards,
But you shall not drink wine from them.
12 For I (P)know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
(Q)Afflicting the just and taking bribes;
(R)Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.
13 Therefore (S)the prudent keep silent at that time,
For it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
(T)As you have spoken.
15 (U)Hate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
(V)It may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
