Amos 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Listen to this word which I utter against you, it is a dirge, House of Israel:	1 Hear this word which I utter over you, a lament, O house of Israel:
2 She has fal en down, never to rise again, the virgin Israel. There she lies on her own soil, with no oneto lift her up.	2 She is fallen, to rise no more, the virgin Israel; She lies abandoned upon her land, with no one to raise her up.
3 For Lord Yahweh says this: The town which used to put a thousand in the field wil be left with ahundred, and the one which used to put a hundred will be left with ten, to fight for the House of Israel.	3 For thus says the Lord GOD: The city that marched out with a thousand shall be left without a hundred, Another that marched out with a hundred shall be left with ten, of the house of Israel.
4 For Yahweh says this to the House of Israel: Seek me out and you wil survive,	4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: Seek me, that you may live,
5 but do not seek out Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal is going intocaptivity and Bethel will be brought to nothing.	5 but do not seek Bethel; Do not come to Gilgal, and do not cross to Beer-sheba. For Gilgal shall be led into exile, and Bethel shall become nought.
6 Seek out Yahweh and you wil survive or else he wil sweep like fire upon the House of Joseph andburn it down, with no one at Bethel able to quench the flames.	6 Seek the LORD, that you may live, lest he come upon the house of Joseph like a fire That shall consume, with none to quench it for the house of Israel:
7 They turn justice into wormwood and throw uprightness to the ground.	7 Woe to those who turn judgment to wormwood and cast justice to the ground!
8 He it is who makes the Pleiades and Orion, who turns shadow dark as death into morning and day todarkest night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the surface of the land. Yahweh is hisname.	8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn, and darkens day into night; Who summons the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth;
9 He brings destruction on the strong and ruin comes on the fortress.	9 Who flashes destruction upon the strong, and brings ruin upon the fortress; whose name is LORD.
10 They hate the man who teaches justice at the city gate and detest anyone who declares the truth.	10 They hate him who reproves at the gate and abhor him who speaks the truth.
11 For trampling on the poor man and for extorting levies on his wheat: although you have built housesof dressed stone, you wil not live in them; although you have planted pleasant vineyards, you wil not drink winefrom them:	11 Therefore, because you have trampled upon the weak and exacted of them levies of grain, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, you shall not live in them! Though you have planted choice vineyards, you shall not drink their wine!
12 for I know how many your crimes are and how outrageous your sins, you oppressors of the upright,who hold people to ransom and thrust the poor aside at the gates.	12 Yes, I know how many are your crimes, how grievous your sins: Oppressing the just, accepting bribes, repelling the needy at the gate!
13 That is why anyone prudent keeps silent now, since the time is evil.	13 Therefore the prudent man is silent at this time, for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil so that you may survive, and Yahweh, God Sabaoth, be with you as you claimhe is.	14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts, be with you as you claim!
15 Hate evil, love good, let justice reign at the city gate: it may be that Yahweh, God Sabaoth, wil takepity on the remnant of Joseph.	15 Hate evil and love good, and let justice prevail at the gate; Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord, says this: In every public square there wil be lamentation, inevery street they will cry out, 'Alas! Alas!' The farmer wil be called on to mourn, the professional mourners tolament,	16 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord: In every square there shall be lamentation, and in every street they shall cry, Alas! Alas! They shall summon the farmers to wail and professional mourners to lament,
17 and there wil be wailing in every vineyard, for I mean to pass through among you, Yahweh says.	17 And in every vineyard there shall be lamentation when I pass through your midst, says the LORD.
18 Disaster for you who long for the Day of Yahweh! What will the Day of Yahweh mean for you? It wilmean darkness, not light,	18 Woe to those who yearn for the day of the LORD! What will this day of the LORD mean for you? Darkness and not light!
19 as when someone runs away from a lion, only to meet a bear; he goes into his house and puts hishand on the wal , only for a snake to bite him.	19 As if a man went to flee from a lion, and a bear should meet him; Or as if on entering his house he were to rest his hand against the wall, and a snake should bite him.
20 Will not the Day of Yahweh be darkness, not light, total y dark, without a ray of light?	20 Will not the day of the LORD be darkness and not light, gloom without any brightness?
21 I hate, I scorn your festivals, I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.	21 I hate, I spurn your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemnities;
22 When you bring me burnt offerings . . . your oblations, I do not accept them and I do not look at yourcommunion sacrifices of fat cattle.	22 Your cereal offerings I will not accept, nor consider your stall-fed peace offerings.
23 Spare me the din of your chanting, let me hear none of your strumming on lyres,	23 Away with your noisy songs! I will not listen to the melodies of your harps. But if you would offer me holocausts,
24 but let justice flow like water, and uprightness like a never-failing stream!	24 then let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream.
25 Did you bring me sacrifices and oblations those forty years in the desert, House of Israel?	25 Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
26 Now you must shoulder Sakkuth your king and the star of your God, Kaiwan, those idols you made foryourselves;	26 You will carry away Sakkuth, your king, and Kaiwan, your star god, the images that you have made for yourselves;
27 for I am about to drive you into captivity beyond Damascus, Yahweh says -- God Sabaoth is hisname.	27 For I will exile you beyond Damascus, say I, the LORD, the God of hosts by name.