Amos 5
5
1Listen, people of Israel, to this funeral lament that I sing about you! 2Virgin Israel has fallen, and will never rise again! She lies abandoned on the ground, and there is no one to help her up. 3This is what the Lord says: From a city that sends out a thousand soldiers, only a hundred will return; from a city that sends out a hundred soldiers, only ten will return.
4This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: Look to me so you may live! 5Do not look to the false gods of Bethel, do not go to the pagan shrines of Gilgal or travel to those of Beersheba. For Gilgal will go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing. 6Look to the Lord so you may live! Otherwise he will explode like fire against the descendants of Joseph and no one from Bethel#5:6. Possibly meaning the false gods of Bethel will be able to do nothing. will be able to quench it. 7You twist justice and make it bitter,#5:7. Literally, “wormwood,” a plant with a very bitter taste. you throw integrity to the ground.
8The One who made the Pleiades and Orion,#5:8. Two constellations of stars. who turns the darkness into morning, and daytime into night, who calls for the water of the seas, and pours it down as rain upon the earth—the Lord is his name! 9In a flash he cuts down the strong and destroys the fortresses.
10You hate anyone who confronts injustice#5:10. This is the meaning of the Hebrew “in the gate”—the place where legal cases were heard. and loathe anyone who speaks honestly. 11Because you trample down the poor and impose a tax on their grain, building for yourselves impressive houses, you will not live in them, and you will not drink wine from the fine vineyards you have planted. 12For I know the extent of your wrongdoing and your numerous sins. You oppress good people by taking bribes, and you prevent the poor from getting justice in the courts. 13So smart people keep quiet in such evil times. 14Do what is right, and not evil, so you may live. Then the Lord God of power will be with you, as you claim he is. 15Hate evil and love good—and make sure justice wins out in your courts. Maybe the Lord God of power will have mercy on those who are left of Jacob's people.
16For this is what the Lord, the Lord God of power says: There will be weeping in the city squares and wailing#5:16. Literally, “saying ‘Alas! Alas!’” in the streets. They will call even the farmers to grieve, as well as the professional mourners. 17There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will pass through#5:17. In punishment. Vineyards, normally places of laughter and celebration, are filled with weeping and wailing. the midst of you, says the Lord.
18How disastrous it will be for those of you who long for the day of the Lord. Why would you want the day of the Lord to come? It will bring darkness, not light. 19It will be like a man running away from a lion only to meet a bear; or a man who goes home and leans his hand on a wall, only to be bitten by a snake. 20Isn't the day of the Lord darkness without light? Yes, pitch dark without a glimmer of light. 21I hate, I despise your festivals and take no delight in your religious assemblies. 22Even though you present me with burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. As for your peace offerings of fattened cattle—I will not even look at them. 23Stop your noisy worship songs. I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24Rather let justice flow like a river, and doing right like an ever-flowing stream.
25Did you bring me sacrifices during those forty years in the desert, people of Israel? 26But now you carry idols of Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god that you made for yourselves. 27So I will send you into exile in a land beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of power.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
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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