Amos 5:14

Amos 5:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
• New International Version (NIV)Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.

Context of Amos 5:14

12Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate. 13For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is. 15Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph. 16Because of Israel’s sins this is what the Lord, the God who commands armies, the sovereign One, 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.

Amos 5:14 word by word

דִּרְשׁוּ־ט֥וֹב וְאַל־רָ֖ע לְמַ֣עַן תִּֽחְי֑וּ וִיהִי־כֵ֞ן יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־צְבָא֛וֹת אִתְּכֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲמַרְתֶּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
• goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• and not evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• that ye may liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• and so the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• shall be with you, as ye have spokenאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Amos 5:14

• Psalms 34:12Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life?
• Proverbs 11:27The one who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but the one who searches for evil – it will come to him.
• Isaiah 1:16Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning!
• Isaiah 55:2Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!
• Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.
• Matthew 6:33But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
• Romans 2:7eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality,
• Amos 3:3Do two walk together without having met?
• Genesis 39:2The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master.
• Exodus 3:12He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.”
• Joshua 1:9I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”
• 1 Chronicles 28:20David said to his son Solomon: “Be strong and brave! Do it! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is finished.
• 2 Chronicles 15:2He met Asa and told him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. If you seek him, he will respond to you, but if you reject him, he will reject you.
• Psalms 46:11The Lord who commands armies is on our side! The God of Jacob is our protector! (Selah)
• Isaiah 8:10Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted! Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! For God is with us!
• Matthew 1:23“Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”

Commentaries on Amos 5:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Seek good, and not evil - Is there a greater mystery in the world, than that a mall, instead of seeking good, will seek evil, knowing that it is evil? And so the Lord - As God is the Fountain of good, so they who seek the supreme good seek him: and they who seek shall find him; For the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with him.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Seek good and not evil - that is, and “seek not evil.” Amos again takes up his warning, “seek not Bethel; seek the Lord.” Now they not only “did evil,” but they “sought” it diligently; they were diligent in doing it, and so, in bringing it on themselves; they sought it out and the occasions of it. People “cannot seek good without first putting away evil, as it is written, cease to do evil, learn to do well‘ Isaiah 1:16-17.” “Ye cannot serve God and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-17Verses 7-17 The same almighty power can, for repenting sinners, easily turn affliction and sorrow into prosperity and joy, and as easily turn the prosperity of daring sinners into utter darkness. Evil times will not bear plain dealing; that is, evil men will not. And these men were evil men indeed, when wise and good men thought it in vain even to speak to them. Those who will seek and love that which is good, may help to save the land from ruin. It…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14Amos clarifies his earlier hints (Amos 5:4, 6). Israel must do what is good and right in order to survive.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. and so--on condition of your "seeking good." shall be with you, as ye have spoken--as ye have boasted; namely, that God is with you, and that you are His people (Mi 3:11).Read the comment

Topics related to Amos 5:14

• Seekers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Manifold
• Seek
• Calf, Golden

Commentaries on Amos 5

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings