Amos 5:4-6

Easy-to-Read Version

The Lord Encourages Israel to Come Back

⁴The Lord says this to the nation^[a] of Israel:
“Come looking for me and live.
⁵    But don’t look in Bethel.
Don’t go to Gilgal.
    Don’t cross the border and go down to Beersheba.^[b]
The people of Gilgal will be taken away as prisoners,^[c]
    and Bethel will be destroyed.^[d]
⁶Come to the Lord and live.
    If you don’t go to him, a fire will start at Joseph’s house,^[e]
    and no one in Bethel^[f] can stop it.

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Footnotes

Amos 5:4 nation Literally, “house.” This might mean the royal family of that country.
Amos 5:5 Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba Ancient places of worship. Abraham and Jacob built altars in these places, but God had told the Israelites that they should go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship him.
Amos 5:5 taken away as prisoners In Hebrew this sounds like the name “Gilgal.”
Amos 5:5 destroyed The Hebrew word is like the name “Beth Aven.” This name means “House of Wickedness.” The prophets often used this name for Bethel.
Amos 5:6 Joseph’s house Here, this means the ten-tribe nation of Israel. Joseph was the ancestor of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh in Israel.
Amos 5:6 Bethel This name means “El’s house” or “the house of God.” There was a temple here where the people from the northern tribes worshiped.