Amos 5:10–24

¹⁰They hate him who ^areproves in the ¹gate,

And they ^babhor him who speaks with integrity.

¹¹Therefore because you ¹impose heavy rent on the poor

And exact a tribute of grain from them,

Though you have built ^ahouses of well-hewn stone,

Yet you will not live in them;

You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will ^bnot drink their wine.

¹²For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great,

You who ^adistress the righteous and accept bribes

And ¹turn aside the poor in the ²gate.

¹³Therefore at ¹such a time the prudent person ^akeeps silent, for it is an evil time.

¹⁴Seek good and not evil, that you may live;

And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you,

^aJust as you have said!

^15aHate evil, love good,

And establish justice in the ¹gate!

Perhaps the Lord God of hosts

^bMay be gracious to the ^cremnant of Joseph.

¹⁶Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the Lord,

“There is ^awailing in all the plazas,

And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’

They also call the ^bfarmer to mourning

And ^1cprofessional mourners to lamentation.

¹⁷“And in all the ^avineyards there is wailing,

Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord.

¹⁸Alas, you who are longing for the ^aday of the Lord,

For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?

It will be ^bdarkness and not light;

¹⁹As when a man ^aflees from a lion

And a bear meets him,

¹Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall

And a snake bites him.

²⁰Will not the day of the Lord be ^adarkness instead of light,

Even gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹“I hate, I ^areject your festivals,

Nor do I ^1bdelight in your solemn assemblies.

²²“Even though you ^aoffer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

And I will not even look at the ^bpeace offerings of your fatlings.

²³“Take away from Me the noise of your songs;

I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

²⁴“But let ^ajustice roll down like waters

And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.