Amos 5

“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.

“For thus saith the Lord GOD ; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Seek the LORD , and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,” The line’s distinctive content terms include earth, judgment, leave. Its relationship to verses 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

“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.

“They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.” The line’s distinctive content terms include abhor, gate, hate. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“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.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“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.

“And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD .” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“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…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include bear, flee, hand. Its relationship to verses 18 and 20 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.” The line’s distinctive content terms include assemblies, days, despise. Its relationship to verses 20 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace…” Naming Though keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.” Naming Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” The line’s distinctive content terms include judgment, mighty, righteousness. Its relationship to verses 23 and 25 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to…” Naming Chiun and Moloch keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD , whose name is The God of hosts.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.