Amos 5:4-15
New American Standard Bible
4 For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:
“(A)Seek Me (B)so 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 nothing.
6 (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,
7 For those who turn (H)justice into wormwood,
And [d]throw righteousness 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)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.
Footnotes
- Amos 5:5 Lit seek
- Amos 5:5 Lit be
- Amos 5:6 Or in the house
- Amos 5:7 Lit they have thrown
- Amos 5:8 Lit And He darkened
- Amos 5:10 I.e., the place where court was held
- Amos 5:11 Or tax
- 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
Amos 5:4-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:
Seek me and live,(A)
5 but do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
or cross over to Beer-sheba,
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and Bethel shall come to nothing.(B)
6 Seek the Lord and live,
or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.(C)
7 Ah, you who turn justice to wormwood
and bring righteousness to the ground!
8 The one who made the Pleiades and Orion
and turns deep darkness into the morning
and darkens the day into night,
who calls for the water of the sea
and pours it out on the surface of the earth,
the Lord is his name,(D)
9 who makes destruction flash out against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.(E)
11 Therefore because you trample on the poor
and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.(F)
12 For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe
and push aside the needy in the gate.(G)
13 Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time,
for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
that you may live,
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.(H)
15 Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.(I)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.