21 (A)“I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 (B)Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to (C)the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 (D)“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 (E)You (F)shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27 (G)and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is (H)the God of hosts.

Read full chapter

Let Justice Roll On

21 “I hate—I despise—your festival days,
    and your solemn convocations stink.[a]
22 And[b] if you send up burnt offerings to me
    as well as your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
    nor will I consider your peace offerings of fattened cattle.
23 Spare me your noisy singing—
    I will not listen to your musical instruments.[c]

24 “But let justice roll on like many[d] waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing river.

25 “Was it to me that you brought offerings and gifts
    in the desert for 40 years, house of Israel?
26 And you carried the tent of your king[e]
    and Saturn,[f] your star god idols[g] that you crafted for yourselves.
27 So I will cause you to be taken captive beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord,
        whose name is God of the Heavenly Armies.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:21 Lit. and I smell no pleasant scent in your solemn assemblies
  2. Amos 5:22 Lit. Because
  3. Amos 5:23 I.e. a stringed instrument such as a harp or lyre
  4. Amos 5:24 The Heb. lacks many
  5. Amos 5:26 LXX reads of Moloch; MT reads carried Sikkuth your king
  6. Amos 5:26 Lit. and Kiyyun
  7. Amos 5:26 So MT; LXX reads and the star of your God Raiphan, the images