'Amos (Amo) 5

1Hear this word that I take up against you

in lament, house of Isra’el:

2The virgin of Isra’el has fallen;

she will not rise again.

She lies abandoned on her own soil

with no one to lift her up.

3For thus says Adonai Elohim:

“The city from which a thousand marched

will be left with a hundred,

and the one from which a hundred marched

will be left with ten

from the house of Isra’el.”

4For here is what Adonai says

to the house of Isra’el:

“If you seek me, you will survive;

5but don’t seek Beit-El, or enter Gilgal

or pass on into Be’er-Sheva;

for Gilgal will certainly go into exile,

and Beit-El will come to nothing.”

6If you seek Adonai, you will survive.

Otherwise, he will break out against

the house of Yosef like fire,

devouring Beit-El,

with no one to quench the flames.

7You who turn justice to bitter wormwood

and throw righteousness to the ground!

8He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

who brings deathlike shadows over the morning,

who darkens the day into night,

who calls for the water in the sea

and with it floods the earth —

Adonai is his name —

9he flashes destruction on the strong,

so that destruction overcomes the fortress.

10They hate anyone promoting justice

at the city gate,

they detest anyone who speaks the truth.

11Therefore, because you trample on the poor

and extort from them levies of grain;

although you have built houses of cut stone,

you will not live in them;

and though you have planted pleasant vineyards,

you will not drink their wine.

12For I know how numerous are your crimes

and how outrageous your sins —

bullying the innocent, extorting ransoms

pushing the poor aside at the gate.

13At times like these a prudent person stays silent,

for it is an evil time.

14Seek good and not evil, so that you will survive.

Then Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot will be with you,

as you say he is.

15Hate evil, love good, and uphold justice at the gate.

Maybe Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot

will take pity on the survivors of Yosef.

16Therefore thus says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, Adonai:

“In all public squares there will be lamentation,

in all the streets they will cry, ‘Oh, no!’

They will summon farmers to mourn

and professional mourners to wail.

17There will be wailing in every vineyard,

for I will pass through among you,” says Adonai.

18Woe to you who want the Day of Adonai!

Why do you want it, this Day of Adonai?

It is darkness, not light;

19as if someone were to run from a lion,

just to be met by a bear;

as if he entered a house, put his hand on the wall,

just to be bitten by a snake.

20Won’t the Day of Adonai be darkness, not light,

completely dark, with no brightness at all?

21“I hate, I utterly loathe your festivals;

I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.

22If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

nor will I consider the peace offerings

of your stall-fed cattle.

23Spare me the noise of your songs!

I don’t want to hear the strumming of your lutes!

24Instead, let justice well up like water,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings

in the desert forty years, house of Isra’el?

26No, but now you will bear Sikkut as your king

and Kiyun, your images,

the star of your god, which you made for yourselves;

27as I exile you beyond Dammesek,”

says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot —

that is his name.

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'Amos (Amo) 5: CJB

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Amos 5

Seek Adonai and Live

1Hear this word that I take up as a lament over you, O house of Israel:

2She has fallen, never rising again— virgin Israel— She is forsaken on her land, with nobody to lift her up.

3For thus says Adonai Elohim: “The city that sends out a thousand will have a hundred left, and one that sends out a hundred will have ten left for the house of Israel.”

4For thus says Adonai to the house of Israel: “Seek Me, and live!

5But do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not cross over to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to trouble.

6Seek Adonai, and live— lest He rush like fire through the house of Joseph. Yes, it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.

Sins of Injustice

7You who turn justice to wormwood threw righteousness to the ground.

8He who made the Pleiades and Orion and changes deep darkness to morning. Who darkens the day into night. Who summons the water of the sea and pours it out on the face of the earth —Adonai is His Name.

9He flashes destruction on the mighty, so destruction will come against a fortress.

10They despise one who reproves at the gate, so they detest one who speaks with integrity.

11Therefore, because you trample on the poor, exacting from him a burden of grain, you built houses of hewn stone, but will not dwell in them, you planted pleasant vineyards, but will not drink their wine.

12For I know your crimes are many and your sins countless— afflicting the righteous, taking bribes, and turning the needy aside at the gate.

13Therefore the prudent keep silent at such a time —for it is a distressful time.

14Seek good and not evil, so you may live, and so Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot may be with you —just as you said!

15Hate evil, love good, maintain justice at the gate. Maybe Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot will extend grace to Joseph’s remnant.

16Therefore thus said Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, my Lord: “There will be wailing in all plazas and in all streets. They will say: ‘Alas! Alas!’ The farmer will be called to mourning along with those who know the lamentation song.

17In all vineyards will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst” —Adonai has spoken.

Dreadful Day of Adonai

18Oy to you—longing for the Day of Adonai! What would it be for you? The Day of Adonai will be darkness and not light.

19It will be as when a man is fleeing from a lion—and meets a bear! Or he comes home, leans his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him!

20Will not the Day of Adonai be darkness, not light? Gloom, not brightness?

Justice Better Than Sacrifices

21“I hate, I despise your festivals! I take no delight in your sacred assemblies.

22Even if you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I look at peace offerings of your fattened animals.

23Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

24But let justice roll like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing torrent.

25Did you bring sacrifices and offerings to Me in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?

26But you lifted up your images —Siccuth your ‘king’, and Chiun, your star gods— which you made for yourselves,

27So I will send you into exile, beyond Damascus.” Adonai has spoken, Elohei-Tzva’ot is His Name.

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