Amos 5 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

“Seek Me So That You May Live”

1 Hear ^H8085 this ^H2088 word ^H1697 which ^H834 I am taking ^H5375 up ^H5375 for you as a song ^H7015 of ^H7015 mourning ^H7015, house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478:

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

The virgin ^H1330 Israel ^H3478.

She lies ^H5203 unnoticed ^H5203 on her land ^H127;

There ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 one ^H369 to raise ^H6965 her up ^H6965.

3 For this ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the Lord ^H136 [fn]GOD ^H3068 says ^H559:

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

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

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

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

4 For this ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559 to the house ^H1004 of Israel ^H3478:

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

5 “But do not [fn]resort ^H1875 to 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 captivity ^H1540

And Bethel ^H1008 will [fn]come ^H1961 to nothing ^H205.

6 “Seek ^H1875 the LORD ^H3068 so that you may live ^H2421,

Or ^H6435 He will break ^H6743 through ^H6743 like a fire ^H784, [fn]house ^H1004 of Joseph ^H3130,

And it will consume ^H398 with no ^H369 one ^H369 to extinguish ^H3518 it for Bethel ^H1008,

7 For those who turn ^H2015 justice ^H4941 into wormwood ^H3939,

And [fn]throw ^H5117 righteousness ^H6666 to the earth ^H776.”

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

And changes ^H2015 deep ^H6757 darkness ^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,

The LORD ^H3068 is His name ^H8034.

9 It is He who makes ^H1082 destruction ^H7701 flash ^H1082 upon the strong ^H5794,

So that destruction ^H7701 comes ^H935 upon the fortress ^H4013.

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

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

11 Therefore ^H3651 because ^H3282 you impose ^H1318 heavy ^H1318 [fn]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 beautiful ^H2531 vineyards ^H3754, yet you will not drink ^H8354 their wine ^H3196.

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

You who are hostile ^H6887 to the righteous ^H6662 and accept ^H3947 bribes ^H3724,

And [fn]turn ^H5186 away ^H5186 the poor ^H34 from justice at the [fn]gate ^H8179.

13 Therefore ^H3651 at [fn]such ^H1931 a time ^H6256 the prudent ^H7919 person keeps ^H1826 quiet ^H1826, because ^H3588 it is an evil ^H7451 time ^H6256.

14 Seek ^H1875 good ^H2896 and not evil ^H7451, so ^H4616 that ^H4616 you may live ^H2421;

And so ^H3651 may the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of armies ^H6635 be with you,

Just ^H834 as ^H834 you have said ^H559!

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

And establish ^H3322 justice ^H4941 in the [fn]gate ^H8179!

Perhaps ^H194 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of armies ^H6635

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

16 Therefore ^H3651 this ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of armies ^H6635, the Lord ^H136 says ^H559:

“There is mourning ^H4553 in all ^H3605 the public ^H7339 squares ^H7339,

And in all ^H3605 the streets ^H2351 they say ^H559, ‘Oh ^H1930 no ^H1930! Oh ^H1930 no ^H1930!’

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

And [fn]professional ^H3045 mourners ^H5092 to mourning ^H4553 rites ^H4553.

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

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

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

For what ^H4100 [fn]purpose ^H2088 will the day ^H3117 of the LORD ^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 confronts ^H6293 him,

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

And a snake ^H5175 bites ^H5391 him.

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

Even gloom ^H651 with no ^H3808 brightness ^H5051 in it?

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

Nor ^H3808 do I [fn]delight ^H7306 in your festive ^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 fattened ^H4806 oxen ^H4806.

23 “Take ^H5493 away ^H5493 from Me the noise ^H1995 of your songs ^H7892;

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

24 “But let justice ^H4941 roll ^H1556 out ^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, 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 the LORD ^H3068, whose name ^H8034 is the God ^H430 of armies ^H6635.