Bible in Basic English
So these are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the Lord: There will be weeping in all the open spaces; and in all the streets they will say, Sorrow! sorrow! and they will get in the farmer to the weeping, and the makers of sad songs to give cries of grief.
In all the vine-gardens there will be cries of grief: for I will go through among you, says the Lord.
Sorrow to you who are looking for the day of the Lord! what is the day of the Lord to you? it is dark and not light.
As if a man, running away from a lion, came face to face with a bear; or went into the house and put his hand on the wall and got a bite from a snake.
Will not the day of the Lord be dark and not light? even very dark, with no light shining in it?
Your feasts are disgusting to me, I will have nothing to do with them; I will take no delight in your holy meetings.
Even if you give me your burned offerings and your meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: I will have nothing to do with the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; my ears are shut to the melody of your instruments.
But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Did you come to me with offerings of beasts and meal offerings in the waste land for forty years, O Israel?
Truly, you will take up Saccuth your king and Kaiwan your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.
And I will send you away as prisoners farther than Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.
— Amos 5:16-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the Lord: Wailing shall be in all the broad ways; and they shall say in all the streets, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful in lamentation to wailing. And in all vineyards shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of thee, saith Jehovah. Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts. ”
“Because of Israel’s sins this is what the Lord, the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, says:“In all the squares there will be wailing, in all the streets they will mourn the dead. They will tell the field workers to lament and the professional mourners to wail. In all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD. The Lord Demands Justice Woe to those who wish for the day of the LORD! Why do you want the LORD’s day of judgment to come? It will bring darkness, not light. Disaster will be inescapable, as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear, then escaped into a house, leaned his hand against the wall, and was bitten by a poisonous snake. Don’t you realize the LORD’s day of judgment will bring darkness, not light– gloomy blackness, not bright light? “I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies! Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. Take away from me your noisy songs; I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up. You did not bring me sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family of Israel. You will pick up your images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kiyyun, your star god, which you made for yourselves, and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD. He is called the God of Heaven’s Armies!”
So the wise will say nothing in that time; for it is an evil time.
Go after good and not evil, so that life may be yours: and so the Lord, the God of armies, will be with you, as you say.
Be haters of evil and lovers of good, and let right be done in the public place: it may be that the Lord, the God of armies, will have mercy on the rest of Joseph.
So these are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the Lord: There will be weeping in all the open spaces; and in all the streets they will say, Sorrow! sorrow! and they will get in the farmer to the weeping, and the makers of sad songs to give cries of grief.
In all the vine-gardens there will be cries of grief: for I will go through among you, says the Lord.
Sorrow to you who are looking for the day of the Lord! what is the day of the Lord to you? it is dark and not light.
As if a man, running away from a lion, came face to face with a bear; or went into the house and put his hand on the wall and got a bite from a snake.
Will not the day of the Lord be dark and not light? even very dark, with no light shining in it?
Your feasts are disgusting to me, I will have nothing to do with them; I will take no delight in your holy meetings.
Even if you give me your burned offerings and your meal offerings, I will not take pleasure in them: I will have nothing to do with the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; my ears are shut to the melody of your instruments.
But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Did you come to me with offerings of beasts and meal offerings in the waste land for forty years, O Israel?
Truly, you will take up Saccuth your king and Kaiwan your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.
And I will send you away as prisoners farther than Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.