Amos 5:16-27 ▼

16 Therefore this is what the LORD God of armies, the Lord says: “There is mourning in all the public squares, And in all the streets they say, ‘Oh no! Oh no!’ They also call the farmer to mourning And professional mourners to mourning rites.

17 “And in all the vineyards there is mourning, Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the LORD.

18 Woe to you who are longing for the day of the LORD, For what purpose will the day of the LORD be to you? It will be darkness and not light;

19 As when a man flees from a lion And a bear confronts him, Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him.

20 Will the day of the LORD not be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.

22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.

23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

24 “But let justice roll out like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?

26 You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.

27 Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of armies.