Amos 5:18-27

18 Sorrow to you who are looking for the day of the Lord! what is the day of the Lord to you? it is dark and not light.

19 As if a man, running away from a lion, came face to face with a bear; or went into the house and put his hand on the wall and got a bite from a snake.

20 Will not the day of the Lord be dark and not light? even very dark, with no light shining in it?

21 Your feasts are disgusting to me, I will have nothing to do with them; I will take no delight in your holy meetings.

22 Even if you give me your burned offerings and your meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: I will have nothing to do with the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; my ears are shut to the melody of your instruments.

24 But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 Did you come to me with offerings of beasts and meal offerings in the waste land for forty years, O Israel?

26 Truly, you will take up Saccuth your king and Kaiwan your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

27 And I will send you away as prisoners farther than Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.

Amos 5:18-27 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.