Amos 5:14-24

14 Seek ye good, and not evil, (so) that ye live, and the Lord God of hosts shall be with you, as ye said (that he is).

15 Hate ye evil, and love ye good, and ordain ye in the gate doom (and ordain ye justice in the court); if peradventure the Lord God of hosts have mercy on the remnants of Joseph.

16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts, having lordship (And so the Lord God of hosts, who ruleth, or who is sovereign), saith these things, Wailing shall be in all streets, and in all things that be withoutforth it shall be said, Woe! Woe! and they shall call an earth-tiller to mourning, and them that know how to wail, to wailing.

17 And wailing shall be in all ways, for I shall pass forth in the middle of thee, saith the Lord. (And there shall be wailing on all the ways, for I shall pass through in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.)

18 Woe to them that desire the day of the Lord; whether to desire ye it to you? This day of the Lord shall be darknesses, and not light. (Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord; do ye desire it for yourselves?/do ye desire that it come to you? This day of the Lord shall be darkness, and not light.)

19 As if a man run from the face of a lion, and a bear run to him; and he enter into the house, and lean with his hand on the wall, and a serpent dwelling in (the) shadow bite him.

20 Whether the day of the Lord shall not be darknesses, and not light; and mist, and not shining therein? (Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light; and cloud, or fog, and not sunshine, or brightness.)

21 I hated and casted away your feast days, and I shall not take the odour of your companies. (I hated and threw away your feast days, and I shall not receive the aroma from your offerings.)

22 That if ye offer to me your burnt sacrifices, and gifts, I shall not receive, and I shall not behold the avows of your fat things. (And if ye offer me your burnt sacrifices, and gifts, I shall not receive them, and I shall not look upon the fat beasts of your vows, or of your offerings.)

23 Do thou away from me the noise of thy songs, and I shall not hear the songs of thine harp.

24 And doom shall be showed as water, and rightwiseness as a strong stream. (Let justice flow like a river, and righteousness like a strong stream.)

Amos 5:14-24 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.