Amos 5:10–24

¹⁰Israel, you hate those who do what is right in court.

You can’t stand those who tell the truth.

¹¹You walk all over poor people.

You make them give you grain.

You have built stone houses.

But you won’t live in them.

You have planted fruitful vineyards.

But you won’t drink the wine they produce.

¹²I know how many crimes you have committed.

You have sinned far too much.

You crush those who do what is right.

You accept money from people who want special favors.

You take away the rights of poor people in the courts.

¹³So those who are wise keep quiet in times like these.

That’s because the times are evil.

¹⁴Look to what is good, not to what is evil.

Then you will live.

And the Lord God who rules over all

will be with you,

just as you say he is.

¹⁵Hate what is evil. Love what is good.

Do what is fair in the courts.

Perhaps the Lord God who rules over all

will show you his favor.

After all, you are the only ones left

in the family line of Joseph.

¹⁶The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says,

“People will sob in all of the streets.

They will be very sad in every market place.

Even farmers will be told to cry loudly.

People will sob over the dead.

¹⁷Workers will cry in all of the vineyards.

That is because I will punish you,”

says the Lord.

The Day of the Lord Is Coming

¹⁸How terrible it will be for you

who long for the day of the Lord!

Why do you want it to come?

That day will be dark, not light.

¹⁹It will be like a man running away from a lion

only to meet a bear.

He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall

only to be bitten by a snake.

²⁰The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.

It will be very black.

There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.

²¹The Lord says,

“I hate your holy feasts.

I can’t stand them.

I hate it when you gather together.

²²You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.

But I will not accept them.

You bring your best friendship offerings.

But I will not even look at them.

²³Take the noise of your songs away!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

²⁴I want you to treat others fairly.

So let fair treatment roll on

just as a river does!

Always do what is right.

Let right living flow along

like a stream that never runs dry!