Amos 5
5
“Seek Me that You May Live”
1Hear this word which I take up for you as a funeral song, O house of Israel:
2She has fallen, she will not rise again—
The virgin Israel.
She lies neglected on her land;
There is no one to raise her up.
3For thus says the Lord God,
“The city which goes forth a thousand strong
Will have a hundred left,
And the one which goes forth a hundred strong
Will have ten left to the house of Israel.”
4For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel,
“Seek Me [search diligently for Me and regard Me as more essential than food] so that you may live. [2 Chr 15:2; Jer 29:13]
5“But do not resort to Bethel [to worship the golden calf]
Nor enter [idolatrous] Gilgal,
Nor cross over to Beersheba [and its idols];
For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity and exile,
And Bethel will come to nothing.
6“Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and long for Him as your most essential need] so that you may live,
Or He will rush down like a [devouring] fire, O #5:6 A reference to the ten tribes of Israel, the Northern Kingdom. The leading tribe in the north was Ephraim (descendants of Joseph’s second son).house of Joseph,
And there will be no one to quench the flame for [idolatrous] #5:6 The center of pagan worship in the Northern Kingdom.Bethel,
7For those [shall be consumed] who turn justice into wormwood (bitterness)
And cast righteousness down to the earth.”
8¶He who made the [cluster of stars called] Pleiades and [the constellation] Orion,
Who turns deep darkness into the morning
And darkens the day into night,
Who calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the surface of the earth,
The Lord is His name.
9It is He who causes [sudden] destruction to flash forth on the strong
So that destruction comes on the fortress.
10¶They hate the one who reprimands [the unrighteous] in the [court held at the city] gate [regarding him as unreasonable and rejecting his reprimand],
And they detest him who speaks [the truth] with integrity and honesty.
11Therefore, because you impose heavy rent on the poor
And demand a tribute (food-tax) of grain from them,
Though you have built [luxurious] houses of square stone,
You will not live in them;
You have planted beautiful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.
12For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great (shocking, innumerable),
You who distress the righteous and take bribes,
And turn away from the poor in the [court of the city] gate [depriving them of justice].
13Therefore, he who is prudent and has insight will keep silent at such a [corrupt and evil] time, for it is an evil time [when people will not listen to truth and will disregard those of good character].
14¶Seek (long for, require) good and not evil, that you may live;
And so may the Lord God of hosts be with you,
Just as you have said!
15Hate evil and love good,
And establish justice in the [court of the city] gate.
Perhaps the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph [that is, those who remain after God’s judgment].
16Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord,
“There is wailing in all the public plazas,
And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’
And they call the farmers to mourning [for those who have died]
And professional mourners to wailing.
17“And in all vineyards there is wailing,
For I will pass through your midst [in judgment],” says the Lord. [Ex 12:12]
18¶Woe (judgment is coming) to you who desire the day of the Lord [expecting rescue from the Gentiles]!
Why would you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness (judgment) and not light [and rescue and prosperity];
19It is as if a man runs from a lion [escaping one danger]
And a bear meets him [so he dies anyway],
Or goes home, and leans with his hand against the wall
And a snake bites him.
20Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, instead of light,
Even very dark with no brightness in it?
21¶“I hate, I despise and reject your [sacred] feasts,
And I do not take delight in your solemn assemblies.
22“Even though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened animals.
23“Take the noise of your songs away from Me [they are an irritation]!
I shall not even listen to the melody of your harps.
24“But let justice run down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream [flowing abundantly].
25“Did you bring Me sacrifices and grain offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? [Certainly not!] 26You carried along your king Sikkuth and Kayyun [your man-made gods of Saturn], your images of your star-god which you made for yourselves [but you brought Me none of the appointed sacrifices]. 27Therefore, I will send you to go into exile far beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. [Acts 7:42, 43]
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Amos 5
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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