The Book of the Prophet Amos 5 Prediction of the Ruin of Israel

 The Book of the Prophet Amos 5

Prediction of the Ruin of Israel

1 Hear this word, which I raise up as a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

2 The virgin of Israel has fallen, she shall never rise again; she is forsaken in her land, there is none to raise her up.

3 For thus says the Lord God: The city out of which a thousand go forth shall retain a hundred, and that out of which a hundred go forth shall retain ten for the house of Israel.

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek me, and live.

5 But seek not Bethel, nor go to Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal is surely taken captive, and Bethel shall be brought to nothing.

6 Seek the Lord, and live, lest he break out like a fire in the house of Joseph, and consume it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

7 You who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground,

8 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the shadow of night into morning and darkens the day like night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth—the Lord is his name.

9 He who brings sudden destruction upon the strong, so that desolation comes upon the fortress.

10 They hate the one who reproves them in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks truthfully.

11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact a tribute of grain from them, you will build houses of hewn stone, but you will not live in them; you will plant pleasant vineyards, but you will not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins: you afflict the righteous, you take bribes, and you reject the needy at the gate.

13 Therefore, the prudent man will keep silent at that time, for the time will be evil.

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

15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; perhaps the Lord, the God of hosts, will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord: In all the streets there will be weeping, and in all the neighborhoods they will say, “Alas! Alas!” And they will call the farmer to weeping, and those who know how to weep to lamentation.

17 And in all the vineyards there will be weeping; for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.

18 Woe to those who long for the day of the Lord! For what do you long for the day of the Lord? It will be darkness, not light.

19 It will be like a man fleeing from a lion, only to meet a bear; or like a man going into a house, leaning his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

20 Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light? Will it not be utter darkness without any brightness?

21 I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I look upon the peace offerings of your fattened animals.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your instruments.

24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

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

26 Instead, you carried the tent of your Moloch and the altar of your idols, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus, declares the Lord, whose name is the God Almighty.