October 21 - Amos 5.1-17

Sponsored by DailyBible Email

Turn Back to the LORD

Amos 5 Listen, nation of Israel, to my mournful message:
2You, dearest Israel, have fallen, never to rise again--
you lie deserted in your own land,
with no one to help you up.

3The LORD God has warned,
"From every ten soldiers only one will be left;
from a thousand troops, only a hundred will survive."

4The LORD keeps saying, "Israel, turn back to me
and you will live!
5Don't go to Gilgal or Bethel or even to Beersheba.
Gilgal will be dragged away,
and Bethel will end up as nothing."

6Turn back to the LORD, you descendants of Joseph,
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.
7You people are doomed! You twist the truth
and stomp on justice.

8But the LORD created the stars and put them in place.
He turns darkness to dawn and daylight to darkness;
he scoops up the ocean and empties it on the earth.
9God destroys mighty soldiers and strong fortresses.

Choose Good Instead of Evil!

The LORD said:
10You people hate judges and honest witnesses;
11you abuse the poor and demand heavy taxes from them.
You have built expensive homes, but you won't enjoy them;
you have planted vineyards, but you will get no wine.
12I am the LORD, and I know your terrible sins.
You cheat honest people and take bribes;
you rob the poor of justice.
13Times are so evil that anyone with good sense
will keep quiet.

14If you really want to live, you must stop doing wrong
and start doing right.
I, the LORD God All-Powerful, will then be on your side,
just as you claim I am.
15Choose good instead of evil! See that justice is done.
Maybe I, the LORD All-Powerful,
will be kind to what's left of your people.

Judgment Is Coming

16This is what the LORD has sworn:
Noisy crying will be heard in every town and street.
Even farmers will be told to mourn for the dead,
together with those who are paid to mourn.
17Your vineyards will be filled with crying and weeping,
because I will punish you.
I, the LORD, have spoken!

Next Page

This reading is from The Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version, copyright © American Bible Society, 1995.


Click here to go to BibleNetUSA's main page

Click here to go to the main page of dailybibleclub.com


Copyright 2013 BibleNetUSA.  All rights reserved.  Email cev@dailybibleclub.com

These daily Bible readings from the Contemporary English Version (CEV) are published by BibleNetUSA.  The web site and BibleCard® designs are by iCreative.  BibleCard® images copyright iCreative.  All rights reserved.