Amos 5

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

Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

2 The virgin Israel has fallen; she will rise no more; she is forsaken on her land; there is no one to raise her up.

"The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up."

3 For this is what the Lord Yahweh says: “The city that went out with a thousand will have a hundred left, and the one that went out with a hundred will have ten left belonging to the house of Israel.”

For thus says the LORD: "The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel."

4 For this is what Yahweh says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live!

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek me, and you will live;

5 Do not seek Bethel; nor enter Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will become nothing.

but do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Seek Yahweh and live, or he will break out like fire in the house of Joseph. It will devour, and there will be no one to quench it in Bethel.

Seek the LORD, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 Those people turn justice into a bitter thing and throw righteousness down to the ground!”

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:

8 God made the Pleiades and Orion; he turns darkness into the morning; he makes the day dark with night and calls for the waters of the sea; he pours them out on the surface of the earth. Yahweh is his name!

seek him who made Kimah and Kesil, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,

9 He brings sudden destruction on the strong so that destruction comes on the fortresses.

who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

10 They hate anyone who corrects them in the city gate, and they abhor anyone who speaks the truth.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

11 Because you trample down the poor and take portions of wheat from him— although you have built houses of worked stone, you will not live in them. You have delightful vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.

Forasmuch therefore as you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, take bribes, and turn aside the needy in the city gate.

For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins—you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.

13 Therefore any prudent person is silent at such a time, for it is an evil time.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, so that you may live. So Yahweh, the God of hosts, will really be with you, as you say he is.

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you say.

15 Hate evil, love good, establish justice in the city gate. Perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

16 Therefore, this is what Yahweh says, the God of hosts, the Lord, “Wailing will be in all the squares, and they will say in all the streets, 'Woe! Woe!' They will call the farmers to mourning and the mourners to wail.

Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: "Wailing will be in all the broad ways; and they will say in all the streets, 'Alas. Alas.' and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

17 In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says Yahweh.

In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of you," says the LORD.

18 Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It will be darkness and not light,

"Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD. Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.

19 as when a man flees from a lion and a bear meets him, or he goes in a house and puts his hand on the wall and a snake bites him.

As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

20 Will not the day of Yahweh be darkness and not light? Gloom and no brightness?

Won't the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

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

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals.

Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.

23 Remove from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the sound of your harps.

Take away from me the noise of your songs. I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 Instead, let justice flow like water, and righteousness like a constantly flowing stream.

But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

"Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

26 You have lifted up the images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kaiwan, your star god, which you made for yourselves.

You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship them.

27 Therefore I will exile you beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of hosts.

Therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon," says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.