Amos 5

1 Hear this word, a lamentation, which I take up against you, O house of Israel.

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

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

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

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

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.”

4 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel: Seek ye me, and ye shall live.

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

5 And seek not Bethel, neither go to Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

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

6 Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it], and there be none to quench [it] in Bethel.

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.

7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

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

8 [seek him] that made the Pleiades and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night; that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: Jehovah is his name.

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!

9 He causeth destruction to break forth suddenly upon the strong, and bringeth destruction upon the fortress.

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

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

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

11 Forasmuch, therefore, as ye trample upon the poor, and take from him presents of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, and ye shall not drink the wine of them.

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.

12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions and your sins mighty: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside [the right of] the needy in the gate.

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.

13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in this time; for it is an evil time.

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

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

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.

15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

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

16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all broadways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! alas! And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

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.

17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.

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

18 Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! To what end is the day of Jehovah for you? It shall be darkness and not light:

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,

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

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.

20 Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

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

21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell [a sweet odour] in your solemn assemblies.

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

22 For if ye offer up unto me burnt-offerings and your oblations, I will not accept [them]; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fatted beasts.

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.

23 Take away from me the noise of thy songs, and I will not hear the melody of thy lutes;

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

24 but let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as an ever-flowing stream.

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

25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and oblations in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

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

26 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye had made to yourselves;

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

27 and I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.

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