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Amos 5:4-6
Contemporary English Version
Amos 5:4-6
Contemporary English Version
4 The Lord keeps saying,
“Israel, turn back to me
and you will live!
5 Don't go to Gilgal or Bethel
or even to Beersheba.[a]
Gilgal will be dragged away,
and Bethel will end up
as nothing.”[b]
6 Turn back to the Lord,
you descendants of Joseph,[c]
and you will live.
If you don't, the Lord
will attack like fire.
Bethel will burn to the ground,
and no one can save it.
Footnotes
- 5.5 Gilgal … Bethel … Beersheba: These were ancient places of worship, but the Lord had warned his people to stay away from them.
- 5.5 Gilgal … nothing: In Hebrew “Gilgal” and “dragged away” sound something alike. Bethel (meaning “house of God”) is sometimes called “house of nothing” or “house of sin” by the prophets (see Hosea 4.15; 5.8; 10.5-8).
- 5.6 descendants of Joseph: Another name for the people of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Amos 5:4-6
New International Version
Amos 5:4-6
New International Version
4 This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek(A) me and live;(B)
5 do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(C)
do not journey to Beersheba.(D)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[a](E)”
6 Seek(F) the Lord and live,(G)
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;(H)
it will devour them,
and Bethel(I) will have no one to quench it.(J)
Footnotes
- Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.