The big picture
Amos 5 opens in verse 1 with “Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 14 with “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD , the God of hosts, shall be…”, and closes in verse 27 with “Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD , whose…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, house, Israel, Seek, hosts. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Amos · King James Version · 27Amos 5:1-7
1–7: Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O…
Amos 5:1–7 opens with “Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.” and reaches “Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Crowded religious festivals rejected while justice is called to roll like waters through the city gate, with particular weight carried by house, Israel, Beth.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.” Naming Hear and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Amos 5:1-7
King James Version1Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3For 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.
4For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
5But 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.
6Seek 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.
7Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
Amos 5:8-14
8–14: Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow…
Amos 5:8–14 opens with “Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the…” and reaches “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD , the God of hosts, shall be with…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Crowded religious festivals rejected while justice is called to roll like waters through the city gate, with particular weight carried by evil, gate, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Amos 5:8-14
King James Version8Seek 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:
9That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
11Forasmuch 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.
12For 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.
13Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD , the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Amos 5:15-21
15–21: Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it…
Amos 5:15–21 opens with “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD…” and reaches “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Crowded religious festivals rejected while justice is called to roll like waters through the city gate, with particular weight carried by LORD, wailing, alas.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be…” Naming Hate keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Therefore the LORD , the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Amos 5:15-21
King James Version15Hate 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.
16Therefore 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.
17And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD .
18Woe 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.
19As 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.
20Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Amos 5:22-27
22–27: Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not…
Amos 5:22–27 opens with “Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will…” and reaches “Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD , whose name is…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Crowded religious festivals rejected while justice is called to roll like waters through the city gate, with particular weight carried by offerings, accept, beasts.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
Amos 5:22-27
King James Version22Though 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.
23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
27Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD , whose name is The God of hosts.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Amos 5:1 begins with “Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.”
Where the chapter turns
Amos 5:13 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.”
The final note
Amos 5:27 leaves the reader with “Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD , whose name is The God of hosts.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, house, Israel, Seek, hosts, offerings help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the repeated ending make readers feel?
Death becomes the chapter's persistent refrain, even as generation follows generation.
What two interruptions offer hope?
Enoch's walk with God and Lamech's hope attached to Noah.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- lest
- so that something does not happen
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.