Amos 5:1-10

1 Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Yisra'el.

2 "The virgin of Yisra'el has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; There is no one to raise her up."

3 For thus says the Lord GOD: "The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, And that which went forth one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Yisra'el."

4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Yisra'el: "Seek me, and you will live;

5 But don't seek Beit-El, Nor enter into Gilgal, And don't pass to Be'er-Sheva: For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Beit-El shall come to nothing.

6 Seek the LORD, and you will live; Lest he break out like fire in the house of Yosef, And it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Beit-El.

7 You who turn justice to wormwood, And cast down righteousness to the eretz:

8 Seek him who made the Kima and Kesil, 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 eretz, 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.

Amos 5:1-10 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.