Amos 5:14-16

14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts be with you, ¹Just as you have said!

15 ²Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts ³May be gracious to the ⁴remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the Lord, "There is ⁵wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, 'Alas! Alas!' They also call the ⁶farmer to mourning And ⁷professional mourners to lamentation.

Amos 5:14-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 5

In this chapter the prophet exhorts Israel to hear his lamentation over them for their impending ruin, Am 5:1-3; nevertheless to seek the Lord, and all that is good; to forsake their idols, and repent of their sins, in hopes of finding mercy, and living comfortably; or otherwise they must expect the wrath of God for their iniquities, especially their oppression of the poor, Am 5:4-15; otherwise it would be a time of weeping and wailing, of darkness and distress, however they might harden or flatter themselves, or make a jest of it, Am 5:16-20; for all their sacrifices and ceremonial worship would signify nothing, so long as they continued their idolatry with them Am 5:21-26; and therefore should surely go into captivity, Am 5:27.

Cross References

• 1. Micah 3:11
• 2. Psalms 97:10; Romans 12:9
• 3. Joel 2:14
• 4. Mic 5:3, 7, 8
• 5. Jer 9:10, 18-20; Amos 8:3
• 6. Joel 1:11
• 7. 2 Chronicles 35:25; Jeremiah 9:17

Footnotes

• [a]. I.e. the place where court was held
• [b]. Lit "those who know lamentation"