Amos 5
5
Seek the Lord and Live
1Hear this word that I #Ezek. 19:1take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel:
2“Fallen, no more to rise,
is #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:
#
2 Chr. 15:2; Isa. 55:6; Zeph. 2:3 “Seek me and live;
5but do not seek #See ch. 4:4 Bethel,
and do not enter into #See ch. 4:4 Gilgal
or cross over to #ch. 8:14Beersheba;
for #See ch. 4:4 Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and #See ch. 4:4 Bethel shall come to nothing.”
6 # [See ver. 4 above] Seek the Lord and live,
# [Isa. 9:18, 19] lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for #[See ver. 5 above]Bethel,
7O #[ch. 6:12]you who turn justice to wormwood#5:7 Or to bitter fruit
and cast down righteousness to the earth!
8He who made the #Job 9:9; 38:31 Pleiades and Orion,
and turns deep darkness into the morning
and #Ps. 104:20; [ch. 4:13; 8:9] darkens the day into night,
who #ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7] calls for the waters of the sea
# ch. 9:6; [Gen. 6:17; Ps. 104:6, 7] and pours them out on the surface of the earth,
# See ch. 4:13 the Lord is his name;
9 # [Jer. 50:32] who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,
so that destruction comes upon the fortress.
10 #
Isa. 29:21; [Prov. 15:5, 10] They hate him who reproves #See Ruth 4:1 in the gate,
and they #[1 Kgs. 22:8]abhor him who speaks the truth.
11Therefore because you #[James 2:6] trample on#5:11 Or you tax the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
#
Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13 you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
#
Deut. 28:30, 39; Mic. 6:15; Zeph. 1:13 you 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 #1 Sam. 8:3; 12:3; [Ps. 26:10] take a bribe,
and #ch. 2:7; Isa. 29:21 turn aside the needy #[See ver. 10 above]in the gate.
13Therefore he who is prudent will #[Eccles. 3:7] keep silent in such a time,
#
Mic. 2:3
for it is an evil time.
14 # [Deut. 30:15, 19; Zeph. 2:3] Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, #ch. 3:13the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
15 #
Ps. 97:10; Rom. 12:9 Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice #[See ver. 10 above] in the gate;
#
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, #[See ver. 14 above] the God of hosts, the Lord:
“In all the squares #[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 #[Jer. 9:17, 18]to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
17and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,
for #Ex. 12:12I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
Let Justice Roll Down
18Woe to you who desire #See Joel 1:15 the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
# See Joel 2:1, 2 It is darkness, and not light,
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.
20 # [See ver. 18 above] Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 #
Isa. 1:14; [Jer. 6:20] “I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 #
Ps. 51:16, 17; Isa. 1:11 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.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to #[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.
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? 26#[Deut. 32:17; Ezek. 20:16, 24] You #[Isa. 46:7]shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves, 27#2 Kgs. 17:6 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is #[See ver. 14 above]the God of hosts.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: