For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel,

(A)Seek Me (B)that you may live.
“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.
(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,
For those who turn (H)justice into wormwood
And [d]cast righteousness down to the earth.”

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.
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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:5 Lit seek
  2. Amos 5:5 Or become iniquity
  3. Amos 5:6 Or in the house
  4. Amos 5:7 Lit they have put down
  5. Amos 5:8 Lit And He darkened
  6. Amos 5:10 I.e. the place where court was held
  7. Amos 5:11 Another reading is trample upon
  8. Amos 5:12 Lit they turn
  9. Amos 5:12 I.e. the place where court was held
  10. Amos 5:13 Lit that time
  11. Amos 5:15 I.e. the place where court was held

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.

Read full chapter

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 this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:

(A)Seek Me (B)so that you may live.
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 nothing.
(F)Seek the Lord so that you may live,
Or He will break through like a (G)fire, [c]house of Joseph,
And it will consume with no one to extinguish it for Bethel,
For those who turn (H)justice into wormwood,
And [d]throw righteousness to the earth.”

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.
It is He who (N)makes destruction flash upon the strong,
So that (O)destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 They hate him who (P)rebukes in the [f]gate,
And they (Q)despise him who speaks with integrity.
11 Therefore because you impose heavy [g]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 beautiful vineyards, yet you will (S)not drink their wine.
12 For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great,
You who are (T)hostile to the righteous and accept bribes,
And [h]turn away the poor from justice at the [i]gate.
13 Therefore at [j]such a time the prudent person (U)keeps quiet, because it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, so that you may live;
And so may the Lord God of armies 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 armies
(X)Will be gracious to the (Y)remnant of Joseph.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:5 Lit seek
  2. Amos 5:5 Lit be
  3. Amos 5:6 Or in the house
  4. Amos 5:7 Lit they have thrown
  5. Amos 5:8 Lit And He darkened
  6. Amos 5:10 I.e., the place where court was held
  7. Amos 5:11 Or tax
  8. Amos 5:12 Lit they turn
  9. Amos 5:12 I.e., the place where court was held
  10. Amos 5:13 Lit that time
  11. Amos 5:15 I.e., the place where court was held