Amos 5: Seek the Lord and Live
Amos takes up a lament over fallen Israel, pleads with them to seek the Lord, and warns that the Day of the Lord will be darkness, not light.
Amos 5 (WEB)
1 Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.
2 “The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”
3 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”
4 For thus says Yahweh to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;
5 but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
7 You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
8 seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, Yahweh is his name,
9 who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.
10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor, and take taxes from him of wheat: You have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the courts.
13 Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.
15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the Lord: “Wailing will be in all the broad ways; and they will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ and they will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.
17 In all vineyards there will be wailing; for I will pass through your midst,” says Yahweh.
18 “Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
20 Won’t the day of Yahweh be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.
22 Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?
26 You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says Yahweh, whose name is the God of Armies.
Amos 5 (KJV)
1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
4 For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
5 But seek not Beth–el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer–sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth–el shall come to nought.
6 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.
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8 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:
9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11 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.
12 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.
13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the Lord.
18 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.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.
Amos 5 (ASV)
1 Hear ye this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is cast down upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: The city that went forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went forth a hundred shall have ten left, to the house of Israel.
4 For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
5 but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.
6 Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.
7 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,
8 seek him that maketh the Pleiades 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 (Jehovah is his name);
9 that bringeth sudden destruction upon the strong, so that destruction cometh upon the fortress.
10 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11 Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him 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 the wine thereof.
12 For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins—ye that afflict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right.
13 Therefore he that is prudent shall keep silence in such a time; for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing.
17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.
Summary
Amos lifts up a funeral song over a nation not yet fallen: “The virgin of Israel has fallen; she shall rise no more.” Yet within the lament beats a heart of pleading grace. Three times God urges, “Seek me, and you will live”—not the shrines of Bethel and Gilgal, which are doomed, but the Lord himself, who made the Pleiades and Orion and turns deep darkness into morning. He indicts those who turn justice to bitter wormwood, hate the honest witness in the gate, trample the poor, and take bribes while building grand houses they will never enjoy. The remedy is plain: “Seek good, and not evil… Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts.” Then Amos confronts a dangerous illusion. The people long for the Day of the Lord, imagining it will bring them triumph; but for the unrepentant it will be darkness and not light, like fleeing a lion only to meet a bear. God declares that he hates their feasts and will not listen to their songs; what he desires is that “justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Without it, their crowded worship is only noise, and captivity beyond Damascus awaits.
Key Figures
- Yahweh (the LORD), God of Armies — The Maker of the Pleiades and Orion who pleads with Israel to seek him and live, rejects their empty feasts, and longs for justice and righteousness.
- Amos — The prophet who takes up a lament over fallen Israel and urges them to seek the Lord, hate evil, and establish justice in the courts.
- The corrupt and complacent — Those who turn justice to wormwood, hate honest witnesses, trample the poor, take bribes, and long for a Day of the Lord that will instead be darkness.
Key Verse
Amos 5:24 (WEB)
But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Lessons Learned
- God's judgment is real, yet his call to “seek me and live” reveals his longing to save.
- We must seek the Lord himself, not merely religious places or routines.
- Justice and righteousness, not noisy worship, are what God truly desires.
- The Day of the Lord is no comfort to the unrepentant; it will be darkness, not light.
- God pleads with sinners to live. “Seek me, and you will live” (Amos 5:4, WEB). Even in a chapter of lament, God's heart is to rescue, not merely to condemn.
- Seek the Lord, not the shrine. “Seek Yahweh, and you will live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph” (Amos 5:6, WEB). True life is found in God himself, not in religious places.
- God desires justice over ritual. “Let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24, WEB). Worship he accepts overflows into mercy and fairness toward others.
- The Day of the Lord is not automatic blessing. “Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh!… It is darkness, and not light” (Amos 5:18, WEB). Presuming on God's favor without repentance is a deadly error.
- Why does Amos sing a funeral lament over Israel while the nation still stands, and what does it reveal about the certainty of judgment?
- What is the difference between seeking the shrines at Bethel and Gilgal and seeking the Lord himself (verses 4-6)?
- How does the call to “hate evil, love good, and establish justice” (verse 15) summarize what God wants from his people?
- Why does God say he hates Israel's feasts and songs (verses 21-23), and what does he want instead?
- What would it look like for justice and righteousness to “roll on like rivers” out of your own worship and daily life?
- By lamenting Israel as already fallen (5:1-2), Amos speaks of the coming judgment as so certain it can be mourned in advance. Yet the lament is not cold; it is grief, and it sits beside repeated pleas to seek the Lord and live. Judgment is sure, but mercy is still offered.
- Bethel and Gilgal were popular worship centers, but God says they are doomed and warns against trusting them (5:5-6). To seek the Lord is to turn to God himself in repentance and obedience, not merely to attend the right place or perform the right ritual. Life is found in him alone.
- To hate evil, love good, and establish justice (5:15) captures the whole shape of a life pleasing to God. It is not enough to avoid wrong; God's people are to love what is right and actively work for fairness, especially for the vulnerable. Right worship and right living belong together.
- God rejects feasts, assemblies, offerings, and songs because they came from hearts that ignored justice (5:21-24). He is not against worship itself but against worship divorced from righteousness. What he desires is justice and righteousness flowing freely, like an unstoppable river, into how his people treat others.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to imagine their faith overflowing into concrete acts of fairness and mercy—in their homes, work, and community. Keep the tone hopeful: God supplies the grace to live this way, and our justice flows from his to us in Christ.