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For thus says the Lord God
    to the house of Israel:
The city that marched out with a thousand
    shall be left with a hundred,
Another that marched out with a hundred
    shall be left with ten.
For thus says the Lord[a]
    to the house of Israel:
Seek me, that you may live,(A)
    but do not seek Bethel;
Do not come to Gilgal,
    and do not cross over to Beer-sheba;
For Gilgal shall be led into exile
    and Bethel shall be no more.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:4–5 For thus says the Lord…Bethel shall be no more: these two verses continue the sarcasm of 4:4–5, verses in which Amos invites the people to come and “sin” at Bethel and Gilgal. The cult cities of Samaria should have been places where God could be “sought” but, because of the sins of the Northern Kingdom, these cities would cease to exist.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
    will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
    will have only ten left.(A)

This is what the Lord says to Israel:

“Seek(B) me and live;(C)
    do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(D)
    do not journey to Beersheba.(E)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
    and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[a](F)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.