God’s Word Translation
Amos 8:5
5You say to yourselves, “When will the New Moon Festival be over so that we can sell more grain? When will the day of rest—a holy day, be over so that we can sell more wheat? We can shrink the size of the bushel baskets, increase the cost, and cheat with dishonest scales.
Amos 8:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
- New International Version (NIV)saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,
- English Standard Version (ESV)saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,
Context of Amos 8:5
3On that day the songs of the temple will become loud cries,” declares the Almighty Lord. “There will be dead bodies scattered everywhere. Hush!” 4Listen to this, those who trample on the needy and ruin those who are oppressed in the world. You say to yourselves, “When will the New Moon Festival be over so that we can sell more grain? When will the day of rest—a holy day, be over so that we can sell more wheat? We can shrink the size of the bushel baskets, increase the cost, and cheat with dishonest scales. 6We can buy the poor with money and the needy for a pair of sandals. We can sell the husks mixed in with the wheat.” 7The Lord has sworn an oath by Jacob’s pride: “I will never forget anything that they have done.”
Read all of Amos 8Amos 8:5 word by word
לֵאמֹ֗ר מָתַ֞י יַעֲבֹ֤ר הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ וְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָה שֶּׁ֔בֶר וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖ת וְנִפְתְּחָה־בָּ֑ר לְהַקְטִ֤ין אֵיפָה֙ וּלְהַגְדִּ֣יל שֶׁ֔קֶל וּלְעַוֵּ֖ת מֹאזְנֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- When will the new moonחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · month: new moonH2320
- be goneעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- that we may sellשָׁבַרshâbar · to buy grainH7666
- cornשֶׁ֫בֶרsheber · grainH7668
- and the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
- that we may set forthפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- wheatבַּרbâr bar · grainH1250
- making the ephahאֵיפָה'êyphâh 'êphâh · ephahH374
- smallקָטֹןqâţôn · be smallH6994
- and the shekelשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
- greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
- and falsifyingעָוַת‛âvath · to pervertH5791
- the balancesמֹאזֵןmô'zên · balanceH3976
- by deceitמִרְמָהmirmâh · deceitH4820
Cross-references for Amos 8:5
- Numbers 10:10Also, on your festival days and on the first day of the month, blow the trumpets when you sacrifice your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpets will be a reminder for you in God’s presence. I am the Lord your God.”
- Numbers 28:11“On the first of every month bring the Lord a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old lambs that have no defects.
- 2 Kings 4:23Her husband asked, “Why are you going to him today? It isn’t a New Moon Festival or a day of rest—a holy day.” But she said goodbye to him.
- Psalms 81:3Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon, on the day of the full moon, on our festival days.
- Isaiah 1:13Don’t bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me, so are your New Moon Festivals, your days of rest—holy days, and the assemblies you call. I can’t stand your evil assemblies.
- Colossians 2:16Therefore, let no one judge you because of what you eat or drink or about the observance of annual holy days, New Moon Festivals, or weekly days of rest—holy days.
- Malachi 1:13“You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the Lord.
- Exodus 20:8“Remember the day of rest by observing it as a holy day.
- Nehemiah 13:15In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of rest—a holy day. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of rest. I warned them about selling food on that day.
- Isaiah 58:13If you stop trampling on the day of rest and doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the day of rest a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way, by not going out when you want, and by not talking idly,
- Romans 8:6The corrupt nature’s attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature’s attitude leads to life and peace.
- Leviticus 19:36Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 25:13Never carry two sets of weights, a heavier one and a lighter one.
- Proverbs 11:1Dishonest scales are disgusting to the Lord, but accurate weights are pleasing to him.
- Proverbs 16:11Honest balances and scales belong to the Lord. He made the entire set of weights.
- Proverbs 20:23A double standard of weights is disgusting to the Lord, and dishonest scales are no good.
Commentaries on Amos 8:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5When will the new moon be gone - This was kept as a kind of holy day, not by Divine command, but by custom. The Sabbath was strictly holy; and yet so covetous were they that they grudged to give to God and their own souls this seventh portion of time! But bad and execrable as they were, they neither set forth their corn, nor their wheat, nor any other kind of merchandise, on the Sabbath. They were saints then, when compared to multitudes called…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5When will the new moon be gone? - They kept their festivals, though weary and impatient for their close. They kept sabbath and festival with their bodies, not with their minds. The Psalmist said, “When shall I come to appear before the presencc of God?” Psalm 42:2. These said, perhaps in their hearts only which God reads to them, “when will this service be over, that we may be our own masters again?” They loathed the rest of the sabbath, because they had…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 The rich and powerful of the land were the most guilty of oppression, as well as the foremost in idolatry. They were weary of the restraints of the sabbaths and the new moons, and wished them over, because no common work might be done therein. This is the character of many who are called Christians. The sabbath day and sabbath work are a burden to carnal hearts. It will either be profaned or be accounted a dull day. But can we spend our time…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Work was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9–10). Amos suggests that shops also closed during pagan new-moon religious festivals. Merchants cheated their customers by using small ephahs (containers for measuring grain), so buyers received less than they paid for. They also cheated their suppliers by using heavy shekels (weights of silver) on their scales, so sellers received less payment. God’s law clearly forbade these dishonest practices…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. So greedy are they of unjust gain that they cannot spare a single day, however sacred, from pursuing it. They are strangers to God and enemies to themselves, who love market days better than sabbath days; and they who have lost piety will not long keep honesty. The new moons (Nu 10:10) and sabbaths were to be kept without working or trading (Ne 10:31). set forth wheat--literally, "open out" stores of wheat for sale. ephah--containing three seahs, or…Read the comment
Topics related to Amos 8:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Amos 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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