Amos 5 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Seek Me That You May Live

1 Hear ^H8085 this ^H2088 word ^H1697 which ^H834 I take ^H5375 up ^H5375 for you as a funeral lament ^H7015, O house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478:

2 She has fallen ^H5307; she will not rise ^H6965 again ^H3254—

The virgin ^H1330 Israel ^H3478.

She lies abandoned ^H5203 on her land ^H127;

There ^H369 is ^H369 none ^H369 to raise ^H6965 her up ^H6965.

3 For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068,

“The city ^H5892 which goes ^H3318 forth ^H3318 one thousand ^H505 strong

Will have ^H7604 one hundred ^H3967 left ^H7604,

And the one which goes ^H3318 forth ^H3318 one hundred ^H3967 strong

Will have ^H7604 ten ^H6235 left ^H7604 to the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478.”

4 For thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 to the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478,

“Seek ^H1875 Me that you may live ^H2421.

5 “But do not seek ^H1875 Bethel ^H1008,

And do not come ^H935 to Gilgal ^H1537,

Nor ^H3808 cross ^H5674 over ^H5674 to Beersheba ^H884;

For Gilgal ^H1537 will certainly ^H1540 go ^H1540 into ^H1540 [fn]exile ^H1540,

And Bethel ^H1008 will become ^H1961 [fn]evil ^H205.

6 “Seek ^H1875 Yahweh ^H3068 that you may live ^H2421,

Lest ^H6435 He come ^H6743 mightily ^H6743 like a fire ^H784, [fn]O house ^H1004 of Joseph ^H3130,

And it will consume ^H398 with none ^H369 to quench ^H3518 it for Bethel ^H1008,

7 For those who overturn ^H2015 justice ^H4941 into wormwood ^H3939

And put ^H5117 righteousness ^H6666 down ^H5117 to the earth ^H776.”

8 He who made ^H6213 the Pleiades ^H3598 and Orion ^H3685

And overturns ^H2015 the shadow ^H6757 of death ^H6757 into morning ^H1242,

[fn]Who also darkens ^H2821 day ^H3117 into night ^H3915,

Who calls ^H7121 for the waters ^H4325 of the sea ^H3220

And pours ^H8210 them out ^H8210 on the surface ^H6440 of the earth ^H776,

Yahweh ^H3068 is His name ^H8034.

9 It is He who flashes ^H1082 forth ^H1082 with devastation ^H7701 upon the strong ^H5794

So that devastation ^H7701 comes ^H935 upon the fortification ^H4013.

10 They hate ^H8130 him who reproves ^H3198 in the [fn]gate ^H8179,

And they abhor ^H8581 him who speaks ^H1696 with integrity ^H8549.

11 Therefore ^H3651 because ^H3282 you [fn]impose ^H1318 heavy ^H1318 rent ^H1318 on the poor ^H1800

And take ^H3947 a tribute ^H4864 of grain ^H1250 from them,

Though you have built ^H1129 houses ^H1004 of cut ^H1496 stone ^H1496,

Yet you will not live ^H3427 in them;

You have planted ^H5193 desirable ^H2531 vineyards ^H3754, yet you will not drink ^H8354 their wine ^H3196.

12 For I know ^H3045 your transgressions ^H6588 are many ^H7227 and your sins ^H2403 are mighty ^H6099,

You who distress ^H6887 the righteous ^H6662 and take ^H3947 bribes ^H3724

And [fn]turn ^H5186 aside ^H5186 the needy ^H34 in the [fn]gate ^H8179.

13 Therefore ^H3651 at [fn]such ^H1931 a time ^H6256 the one with insight ^H7919 keeps ^H1826 silent ^H1826, for it is an evil ^H7451 time ^H6256.

14 Seek ^H1875 good ^H2896 and not evil ^H7451, in order that you may live ^H2421;

And thus ^H3651 may Yahweh ^H3068 God ^H430 of hosts ^H6635 be with you,

Just ^H834 as you have said ^H559!

15 Hate ^H8130 evil ^H7451, love ^H157 good ^H2896,

And set ^H3322 justice ^H4941 at the [fn]gate ^H8179!

Perhaps ^H194 Yahweh ^H3068 God ^H430 of hosts ^H6635

May be ^H2603 gracious ^H2603 to the remnant ^H7611 of Joseph ^H3130.

16 Therefore ^H3651 thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068 God ^H430 of hosts ^H6635, the Lord ^H136,

“There is wailing ^H4553 in all ^H3605 the plazas ^H7339,

And in all ^H3605 the streets ^H2351 they say ^H559, ‘Alas ^H1930! Alas ^H1930!’

They also call ^H7121 the farmer ^H406 to mourning ^H60

And [fn]professional ^H3045 weepers ^H3045 to wailing ^H4553.

17 “And in all ^H3605 the vineyards ^H3754 there is wailing ^H4553

Because ^H3588 I will pass ^H5674 through the midst ^H7130 of you,” says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068.

18 Woe ^H1945, you who are longing ^H183 for the day ^H3117 of Yahweh ^H3068,

For what ^H4100 purpose ^H2088 will the day ^H3117 of Yahweh ^H3068 be to you?

It will be darkness ^H2822 and not light ^H216;

19 As when ^H834 a man ^H376 flees ^H5127 from a lion ^H738

And a bear ^H1677 meets ^H6293 him;

[fn]Or he goes ^H935 home ^H1004, leans ^H5564 his hand ^H3027 against ^H5921 the wall ^H7023,

And a snake ^H5175 bites ^H5391 him.

20 Will not the day ^H3117 of Yahweh ^H3068 be darkness ^H2822 instead ^H3808 of light ^H216,

Even thick ^H651 darkness ^H651 with no ^H3808 brightness ^H5051 in it?

21 “I hate ^H8130, I reject ^H3988 your feasts ^H2282,

Nor ^H3808 do I [fn]delight ^H7306 in your solemn ^H6116 assemblies ^H6116.

22 “Even ^H3588 though ^H518 you offer ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Me burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and your grain offerings ^H4503,

I will not accept ^H7521 them;

And I will not even look ^H5027 at the peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002 of your fatlings ^H4806.

23 “Remove ^H5493 from Me the tumult ^H1995 of your songs ^H7892;

I will not even listen ^H8085 to the melody ^H2172 of your harps ^H5035.

24 “But let justice ^H4941 roll ^H1556 down ^H1556 like waters ^H4325

And righteousness ^H6666 like an ever-flowing ^H386 stream ^H5158.

25 “[fn]Did you present ^H5066 Me with sacrifices ^H2077 and grain offerings ^H4503 in the wilderness ^H4057 for forty ^H705 years ^H8141, O house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478?

26 You also carried ^H5375 along [fn]Sikkuth ^H5522 your king ^H4428 and [fn]Kiyyun ^H3594, your images ^H6754, [fn]the star ^H3556 of your gods ^H430 which ^H834 you made ^H6213 for yourselves. 27 Therefore, I will make you go ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540 beyond ^H4480 H1973 Damascus ^H1834,” says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, whose name ^H8034 is the God ^H430 of hosts ^H6635.