Amos 5

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

Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:

2 “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.”

The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise; she is cast down upon her land, there is none to raise her up.

3 For the Lord GOD says: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

For thus saith the Lord GOD: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, of the house of Israel.

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

For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live;

5 but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

6 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.

Seek the LORD, and live — lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel —

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

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast righteousness to the ground;

8 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, 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,

Him that maketh the Pleiades and Orion, and bringeth on the shadow of death in the morning, and darkeneth the day into night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the LORD is His name;

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

That causeth destruction to flash upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

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

They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

11 Therefore, because 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.

Therefore, because ye trample upon the poor, and take from him exactions of wheat; ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them, ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine thereof.

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

For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that afflict the just, that take a ransom, and that turn aside the needy in the gate.

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

Therefore the prudent doth keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.

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

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

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

Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

Therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: Lamentation shall be in all the broad places, and they shall say in all the streets: 'Alas! alas!' and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and proclaim lamentation to such as are skilful of wailing.

17 In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through the middle of you,” says the LORD.

And in all vineyards shall be lamentation; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

18 “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.

Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! Wherefore would ye have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.

19 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 snake bit him.

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

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

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

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

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 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.

Yea, though ye offer me burnt-offerings and your meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

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

Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; and let Me not hear the melody of thy psalteries.

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

But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

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

Did ye bring unto Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

So shall ye take up Siccuth your king and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

27 Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Armies.

Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith He, whose name is the LORD God of hosts.