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For Yahweh says to the house of Israel:

“Seek me, and you will live;
but don’t seek Bethel,
    nor enter into Gilgal,
    and don’t pass to Beersheba:
for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
    and Bethel shall come to nothing.
Seek Yahweh, and you will live;
    lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
    and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
You who turn justice to wormwood,
    and cast down righteousness to the earth:
seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion,
    and turns the shadow of death into the morning,
    and makes the day dark with night;
    who calls for the waters of the sea,
    and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,
who brings sudden destruction on the strong,
    so that destruction comes on the fortress.
10 They hate him who reproves in the gate,
    and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor,
    and take taxes from him of wheat:
    You have built houses of cut stone,
    but you will not dwell in them.
You have planted pleasant vineyards,
    but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your offenses,
    and how great are your sins—
    you who afflict the just,
    who take a bribe,
    and who turn away the needy in the courts.
13 Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time,
    for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
    and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you,
    as you say.
15 Hate evil, love good,
    and establish justice in the courts.
    It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

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This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek(A) me and live;(B)
    do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(C)
    do not journey to Beersheba.(D)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
    and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[a](E)
Seek(F) the Lord and live,(G)
    or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;(H)
it will devour them,
    and Bethel(I) will have no one to quench it.(J)

There are those who turn justice into bitterness(K)
    and cast righteousness(L) to the ground.(M)

He who made the Pleiades and Orion,(N)
    who turns midnight into dawn(O)
    and darkens day into night,(P)
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out over the face of the land—
    the Lord is his name.(Q)
With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
    and brings the fortified city to ruin.(R)

10 There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court(S)
    and detest the one who tells the truth.(T)

11 You levy a straw tax on the poor(U)
    and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,(V)
    you will not live in them;(W)
though you have planted lush vineyards,
    you will not drink their wine.(X)
12 For I know how many are your offenses
    and how great your sins.(Y)

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes(Z)
    and deprive the poor(AA) of justice in the courts.(AB)
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet(AC) in such times,
    for the times are evil.(AD)

14 Seek good, not evil,
    that you may live.(AE)
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
    just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil,(AF) love good;(AG)
    maintain justice in the courts.(AH)
Perhaps(AI) the Lord God Almighty will have mercy(AJ)
    on the remnant(AK) of Joseph.

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.