Logos Bible Study

Amos 5:16–18

The NET BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

5:16Because of Israel’s sins47 this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One,48 says:

“In all the squares there will be wailing,

in all the streets they will mourn the dead.49

They will tell the field workers50 to lament

and the professional mourners51 to wail.

5:17In all the vineyards there will be wailing,

for I will pass through52 your midst,” says the Lord.

The Lord Demands Justice

5:18Woe53 to those who wish for the day of the Lord!

Why do you want the Lord’s day of judgment to come?

It will bring darkness, not light.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. 48 Or “the Lord.” The Hebrew term translated “sovereign One” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
  3. 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”).
  4. 50 Or “farmers” (, , , , , ).
  5. 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), .
  6. 52 The expression pass through your midst alludes to Exod 12:12, where the Lord announced he would “pass through” Egypt and bring death to the Egyptian firstborn.
  7. 53 The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”) was used when mourning the dead (see the note on the word “dead” in ). The prophet here either engages in role playing and mourns the death of the nation in advance or sarcastically taunts those who hold to this misplaced belief.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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,

and in all vineyards there shall be wailing,

for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

Why would you have the day of the Lord?

It is darkness, and not light,

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

There will be wailing in all the vineyards,

for I will pass through your midst,”

says the Lord.

Woe to you who long

for the day of the Lord!

Why do you long for the day of the Lord?

That day will be darkness, not light.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

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.

There will be wailing in all the vineyards,

for I will pass among you.

The Lord has spoken.

Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!

What will the day of the Lord be for you?

It will be darkness and not light.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

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.

There will be wailing in every vineyard,

for I will destroy them all,”

says the Lord.

What sorrow awaits you who say,

“If only the day of the Lord were here!”

You have no idea what you are wishing for.

That day will bring darkness, not light.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

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. And in all of the vineyards there will be wailing, because I will pass in your midst,” says Yahweh.

Alas, those who desire the day of Yahweh, why is this for you the day of Yahweh? It will be darkness and not light!

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

And in all vineyards shall be wailing:

For I will pass through thee, saith the Lord.

Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!

To what end is it for you?

The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.

Public Domain