Amos Chapter 5

1 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

2 And I also have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

3 So two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, and were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

4 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: the multitude of your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees hath the palmer-worm devoured: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

5 I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

6 I have overthrown

7 cities among you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a brand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.

8 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel;

9 and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

10 For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought; that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth—Jehovah, the God of hosts, is his name.

11 Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.

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

13 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, to the house of Israel.

14 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;

15 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.

16 Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

17 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,

18 seek him that maketh 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);

19 that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.

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

21 Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.

22 For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins—ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate

23 from their right.

24 Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.

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

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

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

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, theGod 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.

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

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:

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 Hear ye this word of the Lord, even a lamentation, which I take up against you. The house of Israel is fallen; it shall no more rise.

2 The virgin of Israel has fallen upon his land; there is none that shall raise her up.

3 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; The city out of which there went forth a thousand, [in it] there shall be left a hundred, and [in that] out of which there went forth a hundred, there shall be left ten to the house of Israel.

4 Wherefore thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.

5 But seek not Bæthel, and go not in to Galgala, and cross not over to the Well of the Oath: for Galgala shall surely go into captivity, and Bæthel shall be as that which is not.

6 Seek ye the Lord, and ye shall live; lest the house of Joseph blaze as fire, and it devour him, and there shall be none to quench it for the house of Israel.

7 [It is he] that executes judgment in the height [above], and he has established justice on the earth:

8 who makes all things, and changes [them], and turns darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night: who calls for the water of the sea, and pours it out on the face of the earth: the Lord is his name:

9 who dispenses ruin to strength, and brings distress upon the fortress.

10 They hated him that reproved in the gates, and abhorred holy speech.

11 Therefore because they have smitten the poor with their fists, and ye have received of them choice gifts; ye have built polished houses, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted desirable vineyards, but ye shall not drink the wine of them.

12 For I know your many transgressions, and your sins are great, trampling on the just, taking bribes, and turning aside [the judgment of] the poor in the gates.

13 Therefore the prudent shall be silent at that time; for it is a time of evils.

14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord God Almighty shall be with you, as ye have said,

15 We have hated evil, and loved good: and restore ye judgment in the gates; that the Lord God Almighty may have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Almighty; In all the streets [shall be] lamentations; and in all the ways shall it be said, Woe, woe! the husbandman shall be called to mourning and lamentation, and to them that are skilled in complaining.

17 And [there shall be] lamentation in all the ways; because I will pass through the midst of thee, saith the Lord.

18 Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord! what is this day of the Lord to you? whereas it is darkness, and not light.

19 As if a man should flee from the face of a lion, and a bear should meet him; and he should spring into his house, and lean his hands upon the wall, and a serpent should bite him.

20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? and is not this [day] gloom without brightness?

21 I hate, I reject your feasts, and I will not smell [your] meat-offerings in your general assemblies.

22 Wherefore if ye should bring me your whole-burnt-sacrifices and meat-offerings, I will not accept [them]: neither will I have respect to your grand peace-offerings.

23 Remove from me the sound of thy songs, and I will not hear the music of thine instruments.

24 But let judgment roll down as water, and righteousness as an impassable torrent.

25 Have ye offered to me victims and sacrifices, O house of Israel, forty years in the wilderness?

26 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Ræphan, the images of them which ye made for yourselves.

27 And I will carry you away beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, the Almighty God is his name.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Audite verbum istud, quod ego levo super vos planctum. Domus Israel cecidit, et non adiiciet ut resurgat.

2 Virgo Israel proiecta est in terram suam, non est qui suscitet eam.

3 Quia hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Urbs, de qua egrediebantur mille, relinquentur in ea centum: et de qua egrediebantur centum, relinquentur in ea decem in domo Israel.

4 Quia hæc dicit Dominus domui Israel: Quærite me, et vivetis.

5 Et nolite quærere Bethel, et in Galgalam nolite intrare, et in Bersabee non transibitis: quia Galgala captiva ducetur, et Bethel erit inutilis.

6 Quærite Dominum, et vivite: ne forte comburatur ut ignis domus Ioseph, et devorabit, et non erit qui extinguat Bethel.

7 Qui convertitis in absinthium iudicium, et iustitiam in terra relinquitis.

8 Facientem Arcturum, et Orionem, et convertentem in mane tenebras, et diem in noctem mutantem: qui vocat aquas maris, et effundit eas super faciem terræ: Dominus nomen est eius.

9 Qui subridet vastitatem super robustum, et depopulationem super potentem affert.

10 Odio habuerunt corripientem in porta: et loquentem perfecte abominati sunt.

11 Idcirco, pro eo quod diripiebatis pauperem, et prædam electam tollebatis ab eo: domos quadro lapide ædificabitis, et non habitabitis in eis: vineas plantabis amantissimas, et non bibetis vinum earum.

12 Quia cognovi multa scelera vestra, et fortia peccata vestra: hostes iusti accipientes munus, et pauperes deprimentes in porta:

13 Ideo prudens in tempore illo tacebit, quia tempus malum est.

14 Quærite bonum, et non malum, ut vivatis: et erit Dominus Deus exercituum vobiscum, sicut dixistis.

15 Odite malum, et diligite bonum, et constituite in porta iudicium: si forte misereatur Dominus Deus exercituum reliquiis Ioseph.

16 Propterea hæc dicit Dominus Deus exercituum dominator, in omnibus plateis planctus: et in cunctis, quæ foris sunt, dicetur væ væ: et vocabunt agricolam ad luctum, et ad planctum eos, qui sciunt plangere.

17 Et in omnibus vineis erit planctus: quia pertransibo in medio tui, dicit Dominus.

18 Væ desiderantibus diem Domini: ad quid eam vobis? dies Domini ista, tenebræ, et non lux.

19 Quomodo si fugiat vir a facie leonis, et occurrat ei ursus: et ingrediatur domum, et innitatur manu sua super parietem, et mordeat eum coluber.

20 Numquid non tenebræ dies Domini, et non lux: et caligo, et non splendor in ea?

21 Odi, et proieci festivitates vestras: et non capiam odorem cœtuum vestrorum.

22 Quod si obtuleritis mihi holocautomata, et munera vestra, non suscipiam: et vota pinguium vestrorum non respiciam.

23 Aufer a me tumultum carminum tuorum: et cantica lyræ tuæ non audiam.

24 Et revelabitur quasi aqua iudicium, et iustitia quasi torrens fortis.

25 Numquid hostias et sacrificium obtulistis mihi in deserto quadraginta annis, domus Israel?

26 Et portastis tabernaculum Moloch vestro, et imaginem idolorum vestrorum, sidus dei vestri, quæ fecistis vobis.

27 Et migrare vos faciam trans Damascum, dicit Dominus, Deus exercituum nomen eius.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:

2 “The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”

3 For the Lord GOD says: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

4 For the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;

5 but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Seek the LORD, and you will live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8 Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,

9 who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take taxes from him of wheat, you have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

12 For I know how many are your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

13 Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

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

15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

16 Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

17 In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through the middle of you,” says the LORD.

18 “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.

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

20 Won’t the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

22 Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

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

26 You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Armies.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 Hear this word that I am bearing to you, A lamentation, O house of Israel:

2 `Fallen, not again to rise, hath the virgin of Israel, Left on her land--she hath no raiser up.'

3 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city that is going out a thousand, Doth leave an hundred, And that which is going out an hundred, Doth leave ten to the house of Israel.

4 For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live,

5 And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity.

6 Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire <FI>against<Fi> the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El.

7 Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down,

8 The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day <FI>as<Fi> night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> His name;

9 Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.

10 They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate.

11 Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine.

12 For I have known--many <FI>are<Fi> your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside.

13 Therefore is the wise at that time silent, For an evil time it <FI>is<Fi> .

14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, <FI>is<Fi> with you, as ye said.

15 Hate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places <FI>is<Fi> lamentation, And in all out-places they say, `Alas, alas,' And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing.

17 And in all vineyards <FI>is<Fi> lamentation, For I pass into thy midst, said Jehovah.

18 Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why <FI>is<Fi> this to you--the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,

19 As <FI>when<Fi> one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.

20 Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

21 I have hated--I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.

22 For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not.

23 Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.

24 And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.

25 Sacrifices and offering did ye bring nigh to Me, In a wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

26 And ye bare Succoth your king, and Chiun your images, The star of your god, that ye made for yourselves.

27 And I removed you beyond Damascus, Said Jehovah, God of Hosts <FI>is<Fi> His name.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).