Amos

Amos 5:4–6

⁴For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me and live!

⁵Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal;

do not journey to Beersheba,

for Gilgal will surely go into exile,

and Bethel will come to nothing.^a

⁶Seek the LORD and live,

or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph;

it will devour everything,

with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

Footnotes

a 5:5 Hebrew to Aven, a reference to Beth-aven, a derogatory term for Bethel; see Hosea 4:15|HOS 4:15.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
this is what	כֹ֥ה	ḵōh	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
says	אָמַ֛ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to the house	לְבֵ֣ית	lə·ḇêṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
Seek Me	דִּרְשׁ֖וּנִי	dir·šū·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural; first person common singular	H1875 resort to, seek
and live	וִֽחְיֽוּ׃	wiḥ·yū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H2421 live

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do not	וְאַֽל־	wə·’al-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
seek	תִּדְרְשׁוּ֙	tiḏ·rə·šū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H1875 resort to, seek
Bethel	אֵ֔ל	’êl	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1008 Bethel
or go	תָבֹ֔אוּ	ṯā·ḇō·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to Gilgal	וְהַגִּלְגָּל֙	wə·hag·gil·gāl	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1537 Gilgal
do not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
journey	תַעֲבֹ֑רוּ	ṯa·‘ă·ḇō·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
to Beersheba	שֶׁ֖בַע	še·ḇa‘	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H884 Beersheba
for	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
Gilgal	הַגִּלְגָּל֙	hag·gil·gāl	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1537 Gilgal
will surely go into exile	גָּלֹ֣ה	gā·lōh	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H1540 uncover, remove
and Bethel	אֵ֖ל	’êl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1008 Bethel
will come	יִהְיֶ֥ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
to nothing	לְאָֽוֶן׃	lə·’ā·wen	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H205 trouble, sorrow, wickedness

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Seek	דִּרְשׁ֥וּ	dir·šū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H1875 resort to, seek
the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and live	וִֽחְי֑וּ	wiḥ·yū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H2421 live
or	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
He will sweep	יִצְלַ֤ח	yiṣ·laḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6743 rush
like fire	כָּאֵשׁ֙	kā·’êš	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - common singular	H784 fire
through the house	בֵּ֣ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Joseph	יוֹסֵ֔ף	yō·w·sêp̄	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3130 Joseph
it will devour everything	וְאָכְלָ֥ה	wə·’ā·ḵə·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H398 eat
with no one	וְאֵין־	wə·’ên-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
at Bethel	אֵֽל׃	’êl	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1008 Bethel
to extinguish it	מְכַבֶּ֖ה	mə·ḵab·beh	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H3518 be quenched, extinguished, go out

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Amos 5:4 Zephaniah 2:3 · Jeremiah 29:12–13 · 2 Chronicles 15:2 · Isaiah 55:3 · Psalm 14:2 · Isaiah 55:6–7 · Psalm 105:3–4 · Matthew 7:8 · Lamentations 3:25–26 · 1 Chronicles 28:9 · 2 Chronicles 20:3 · Deuteronomy 30:1–8

Amos 5:5 Hosea 4:15 · Amos 8:14 · Amos 4:4 · Genesis 21:33 · Revelation 18:17 · Amos 7:17 · 1 Corinthians 2:6 · 1 Corinthians 1:28

Amos 5:6 Isaiah 55:6 · Ezekiel 20:47–48 · Ezekiel 33:11 · Amos 5:4 · Amos 5:14 · Mark 9:43–48 · Genesis 48:8–20 · Zechariah 10:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.