Amos 5
A Lament for Israel
1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. References Israel: Ezekiel 19:1. Parallel theme: Jeremiah 7:29, 9:10, 9:17
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. References Lord: Deuteronomy 4:27, Isaiah 1:9, Ezekiel 12:16. References God: Deuteronomy 28:62. References Israel: Isaiah 10:22, Romans 9:27. Parallel theme: Amos 6:9, Isaiah 6:13 +3
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
5 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 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 Beth-el. References Lord: Amos 5:4, 5:14, Isaiah 55:6
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars 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: The LORDLord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai). When 'LORD' appears in small capitals, it represents the Tetragrammaton YHWH (יְהוָה), God's personal covenant name meaning 'I AM.' When 'Lord' appears normally, it's Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), meaning 'my Lord,' emphasizing sovereignty. is his name: References Lord: Amos 9:6. Darkness: Amos 4:13, 8:9, Job 12:22, Psalms 104:20, 105:28. Parallel theme: Job 9:9 +2
9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens 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 of them.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. Parallel theme: Amos 5:10, 1 Samuel 8:3, Isaiah 1:23, Malachi 3:5
13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Evil: Ecclesiastes 9:12, Micah 2:3, Ephesians 6:13. Parallel theme: Amos 6:10, Ecclesiastes 3:7, Isaiah 36:21, 37:3, Hosea 4:4, Habakkuk 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:1 +5
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORDLord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai). When 'LORD' appears in small capitals, it represents the Tetragrammaton YHWH (יְהוָה), God's personal covenant name meaning 'I AM.' When 'Lord' appears normally, it's Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), meaning 'my Lord,' emphasizing sovereignty., the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgmentJudgment: מִשְׁפָּט (Mishpat). The Hebrew mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט) means judgment or justice—God's righteous decisions and ordinances. God is the Judge of all the earth who 'shall do right' (Genesis 18:25), executing perfect justice. in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing. Parallel theme: Jeremiah 9:10, Joel 1:11
17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.
The Day of the Lord
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee 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. Parallel theme: Acts 28:4
20 Shall not the day of the LORDLord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai). When 'LORD' appears in small capitals, it represents the Tetragrammaton YHWH (יְהוָה), God's personal covenant name meaning 'I AM.' When 'Lord' appears normally, it's Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), meaning 'my Lord,' emphasizing sovereignty. be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Light: Isaiah 13:10. Darkness: Ezekiel 34:12, Zephaniah 1:15
21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Sacrifice: Isaiah 66:3
23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Parallel theme: Amos 6:5, 8:3, 8:10
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Righteousness: Amos 5:7, Proverbs 21:3, Jeremiah 22:3, Micah 6:8. Parallel theme: Hosea 6:6
25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your godGod: אֱלֹהִים (Elohim). The Hebrew Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) is a plural form denoting majesty and fullness of deity. Though grammatically plural, it takes singular verbs when referring to the one true God, suggesting the Trinity's plurality within unity., which ye made to yourselves. References God: Leviticus 18:21, 1 Kings 11:33
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORDLord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai). When 'LORD' appears in small capitals, it represents the Tetragrammaton YHWH (יְהוָה), God's personal covenant name meaning 'I AM.' When 'Lord' appears normally, it's Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), meaning 'my Lord,' emphasizing sovereignty., whose name is The God of hosts. References God: Amos 4:13, Acts 7:43. Parallel theme: 2 Kings 17:6