42 Heb “set up, establish.” In the ancient Near East it was the responsibility especially of the king to establish justice. Here the prophet extends that demand to local leaders and to the nation as a whole (cf. 5:24).
43 Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate (see the note in v. 12). This repetition of this phrase serves to highlight a deliberate contrast to the injustices cited in vv. 11–13.
44 Or “will show favor to.”
45 Or “the remnant of” (, , , , ); “what’s left of your people.”
46 Joseph (= Ephraim and Manasseh), as the most prominent of the Israelite tribes, represents the entire northern kingdom.
47 Heb “Therefore.” This logical connector relates back to the accusation of vv. 10–13, not to the parenthetical call to repentance in vv. 14–15. To indicate this clearly, the phrase “Because of Israel’s sins” is used in the translation.
48 Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
49 Heb “they will say, ‘Ah! Ah!’ ” The Hebrew term הוֹ (ho, “ah, woe”) is an alternate form of הוֹי (hoy), a word used to mourn the dead and express outwardly one’s sorrow. See 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5. This wordplay follows quickly, as v. 18 begins with הוֹי (“woe”).
50 Or “farmers” (, , , , , ).
51 Heb “those who know lamentation.” Professional mourners are referred to elsewhere in the OT (2 Chr 35:25; Jer 9:17) and ancient Near Eastern literature. See S. M. Paul, Amos (Hermeneia), .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Seek good, and not evil,

that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

as you have said.

Hate evil, and love good,

and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

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

“In all the squares there shall be wailing,

and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’

They shall call the farmers to mourning

and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Seek good, not evil,

that you may live.

Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,

just as you say he is.

Hate evil, love good;

maintain justice in the courts.

Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy

on the remnant of Joseph.

Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:

“There will be wailing in all the streets

and cries of anguish in every public square.

The farmers will be summoned to weep

and the mourners to wail.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Pursue good and not evil

so that you may live,

and the Lord, the God of Armies,

will be with you

as you have claimed.

Hate evil and love good;

establish justice at the city gate.

Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious

to the remnant of Joseph.

Therefore the Lord, the God of Armies, the Lord, says:

There will be wailing in all the public squares;

they will cry out in anguish in all the streets.

The farmer will be called on to mourn,

and professional mourners to wail.

NLTNew Living Translation

Do what is good and run from evil

so that you may live!

Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper,

just as you have claimed.

Hate evil and love what is good;

turn your courts into true halls of justice.

Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies

will have mercy on the remnant of his people.

Therefore, this is what the Lord, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, says:

“There will be crying in all the public squares

and mourning in every street.

Call for the farmers to weep with you,

and summon professional mourners to wail.

Seek good and not bad in order that you may live, and so Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate; perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Therefore, thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, my Lord, “In all of the public squares there will be wailing, and in all of the streets they will say, ‘Alas, alas!’ They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing, to those who are skilled in lamentation.

KJV 1900King James Version

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live:

And so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate:

It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus;

Wailing shall be in all streets;

And they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas!

And they shall call the husbandman to mourning,

And such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

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Amos 5:14–16

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