Brand Logo
Amos 5
ESV

Amos5

Seek the Lord and Live
1Hear this word that I 5:1 Ezek. 19:1take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:

2“Fallen, no more to rise,
is 5:2 Lam. 2:1; [Isa. 47:1]the virgin Israel;
forsaken on her land,
with none to raise her up.”

3For thus says the Lord God:

“The city that went out a thousand
shall have a hundred left,
and that which went out a hundred
shall have ten left
to the house of Israel.”

4For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

5:4 2 Chr. 15:2; Isa. 55:6; Zeph. 2:3“Seek me and live;
5but do not seek 5:5 See ch. 4:4Bethel,
and do not enter into 5:5 See ch. 4:4Gilgal
or cross over to 5:5 ch. 8:14Beersheba;
for 5:5 See ch. 4:4Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and 5:5 See ch. 4:4Bethel shall come to nothing.”

65:6 [See ver. 4above] Seek the Lord and live,
5:6 [Isa. 9:18, 19] lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for 5:6 [See ver. 5above]Bethel,
7O 5:7 [ch. 6:12]you who turn justice to wormwood5:7 Or to bitter fruit
and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8He who made the 5:8 Job 9:9; 38:31Pleiades and Orion,
and turns deep darkness into the morning
and 5:8 Ps. 104:20; [ch. 4:13; 8:9] darkens the day into night,
who 5:8 ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7] calls for the waters of the sea
5:8 ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7] and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
5:8 See ch. 4:13the Lord is his name;
95:9 [Jer. 50:32]who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

105:10 Isa. 29:21; [Prov. 15:5, 10] They hate him who reproves 5:10 See Ruth 4:1in the gate,
and they 5:10 [1 Kgs. 22:8]abhor him who speaks the truth.
11Therefore because you 5:11 [James 2:6] trample on5:11 Or you tax the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
5:11 Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
5:11 Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who 5:12 1 Sam. 8:3; 12:3; [Ps. 26:10] take a bribe,
and 5:12 ch. 2:7; Isa. 29:21turn aside the needy 5:12 [See ver. 10above]in the gate.
13Therefore he who is prudent will 5:13 [Eccles. 3:7] keep silent in such a time,
5:13 Mic. 2:3for it is an evil time.

145:14 [Deut. 30:15, 19; Zeph. 2:3] Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, 5:14 ch. 3:13the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
155:15 Ps. 97:10; Rom. 12:9Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice 5:15 [See ver. 10above] in the gate;
5:15 Joel 2:14; [Ex. 32:30]it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16Therefore thus says the Lord, 5:16 [See ver. 14above] the God of hosts, the Lord:

“In all the squares 5:16 [Jer. 9:17, 18]there shall be wailing,
and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmers to mourning
and 5:16 [Jer. 9:17, 18]to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
17and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
for 5:17 Ex. 12:12I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
Let Justice Roll Down
18Woe to you who desire 5:18 See Joel 1:15the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
5:18 See Joel 2:1, 2It is darkness, and not light,
195:19 [Isa. 24:18; Jer. 48:44]as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
205:20 [See ver. 18above]Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?

215:21 Isa. 1:14; [Jer. 6:20]“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
225:22 Ps. 51:16, 17; Isa. 1:11Even 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.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to 5:23 [ch. 6:5; 8:3; Isa. 5:12]the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

255:25 Cited Acts 7:42, 43“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
265:26 [Deut. 32:17; Ezek. 20:16, 24] You 5:26 [Isa. 46:7]shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,
275:27 2 Kgs. 17:6and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is 5:27 [See ver. 14above]the God of hosts.