Amos 5:4-17 - Seek God And Live
4 "Nevertheless, thus sayeth the LORD unto the house of Israel, 'Seek after me, and ye shall live; 5 but seek not after Bethel. come not at Gilgal, and go not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall be carried away captive, and Bethel shall come to naught. 6 Seek the LORD, that ye may live: lest the house of Joseph be burnt with fire and consumed, and lest there be none to quench Bethel. 7 Ye turn the law to wormwood, and cast down righteousness into the ground.
8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into morning and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: the LORD is his name. 9 He raiseth destruction upon the mighty people, and bringeth down the stronghold.
10 But they owe him evil will, that reproveth them openly: and whoso telleth them the plain truth, they abhor him. 11 Forsomuch then as ye oppress the poor, and rob him of his best sustenance: therefore, where as ye have builded houses of square stone, ye shall not dwell in them. Marvelous pleasant vineyards shall ye plant; but the wine of them shall ye not drink. And why? 12 As for the multitude of your wickednesses and your stout sins, I know them right well. Enemies are ye of the righteous; ye take rewards; ye oppress the poor in judgment. 13 Therefore the wise must now be fain to hold his tongue, so wicked a time is it.
14 Seek after the thing that is good, and not evil, so shall ye live: yea, the LORD God of hosts shall be with you, according to your own desire. 15 Hate the evil, and love the good. Set up right again in the port and, no doubt, the LORD God of hosts shall be merciful unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 "'If no,' sayeth the LORD God, the God of hosts, 'there shall be mourning in all streets. Yea, they shall say in every street: alas, alas. They shall call the husbandman to lamentation; and such as can mourn, to mourning. 17 In all vineyards there shall be heaviness, for I will come among you,' sayeth the LORD.