Amos 5:5-7
Contemporary English Version
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.
7 You people are doomed!
You twist the truth
and trample on justice.
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 5:5-7
New International Version
5 do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,(A)
do not journey to Beersheba.(B)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.[a](C)”
6 Seek(D) the Lord and live,(E)
or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;(F)
it will devour them,
and Bethel(G) will have no one to quench it.(H)
Footnotes
- Amos 5:5 Hebrew aven, a reference to Beth Aven (a derogatory name for Bethel); see Hosea 4:15.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.