Amos 5:6–12

Seek the Lord and live,

lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,

and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

O you who turn justice to wormwood

and cast down righteousness to the earth!

He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

and turns deep darkness into the morning

and darkens the day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

and pours them out on the surface of the earth,

the Lord is his name;

who makes destruction flash forth against the strong,

so that destruction comes upon the fortress.

They hate him who reproves in the gate,

and they abhor him who speaks the truth.

Therefore because you trample on the poor

and you exact taxes of grain from him,

you have built houses of hewn stone,

but you shall not dwell in them;

you have planted pleasant vineyards,

but you shall not drink their wine.

For I know how many are your transgressions

and how great are your sins—

you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,

and turn aside the needy in the gate.

Seek the Lord and live,

or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;

it will devour them,

and Bethel will have no one to quench it.

There are those who turn justice into bitterness

and cast righteousness to the ground.

He who made the Pleiades and Orion,

who turns midnight into dawn

and darkens day into night,

who calls for the waters of the sea

and pours them out over the face of the land—

the Lord is his name.

With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold

and brings the fortified city to ruin.

There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court

and detest the one who tells the truth.

You levy a straw tax on the poor

and impose a tax on their grain.

Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,

you will not live in them;

though you have planted lush vineyards,

you will not drink their wine.

For I know how many are your offenses

and how great your sins.

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes

and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

Come back to the Lord and live!

Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire,

devouring you completely.

Your gods in Bethel

won’t be able to quench the flames.

You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed.

You treat the righteous like dirt.

It is the Lord who created the stars,

the Pleiades and Orion.

He turns darkness into morning

and day into night.

He draws up water from the oceans

and pours it down as rain on the land.

The Lord is his name!

With blinding speed and power he destroys the strong,

crushing all their defenses.

How you hate honest judges!

How you despise people who tell the truth!

You trample the poor,

stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent.

Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses,

you will never live in them.

Though you plant lush vineyards,

you will never drink wine from them.

For I know the vast number of your sins

and the depth of your rebellions.

You oppress good people by taking bribes

and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

Seek Yahweh so that you may live, so that he will not break out like a fire against the house of Joseph! And it will devour, with none to quench it for Bethel. Ah, you who turn justice into wormwood and hurl righteousness to the ground! The one who made the Pleiades and Orion and who turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens day into night, the one who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name! The one who makes destruction flash upon the fierce, so that destruction comes upon the fortification. They hate the one who reproves in the gate and they abhor the one who speaks honestly. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and you take a grain tax from them, you built houses of dressed stone, but you will not live in them. You built vineyards of delightfulness, but you will not drink their wine. For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous, you foes of the righteous, those who take a bribe, and those who push aside the poor ones in the gate!

Seek the Lord, 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 Beth-el.

Ye who turn judgment to wormwood,

And leave off righteousness in the earth,

Seek him that maketh the seven stars 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:

The Lord is his name:

That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong,

So that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.

They hate him that rebuketh in the gate,

And they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor,

And ye take from him burdens 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 wine of them.

For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins:

They afflict the just, they take a bribe,

And they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.