Amos 5:14
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
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.
Webster's Revision
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.
World English Bible
Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.
English Revised Version (ERV)
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye say.
Clarke's Amos 5:14 Bible Commentary
Seek 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.
Barnes's Amos 5:14 Bible Commentary
Seek 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 Mammon." He bids them use the same diligence in seeking good which they now used for evil. Seek it also wholly, not seeking at one while good, at another, evil, but wholly good, and Him who is Good. "He seeketh good, who believeth in Him who saith, 'I am the Good Shepherd' John 10:11."
That ye may live - In Him who "is the Life; and so the Lord, the God of hosts shall be with you," by His holy presence, grace and protection, "as ye have spoken." Israel looked away from the sins whereby he displeased God, and looked to his half-worship of God as entitling him to all which God had promised to full obedience. : "They gloried in the nobleness of their birth after the flesh, not in imitating the faith and lives of the patriarchs. So then, because they were descended from Abraham, they thought that God must defend them. Such were those Jews, to whom the Saveour said, "If ye were Abraham's seed, ye would do the works of Abraham" John 8:39; and His forerunner, 'think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham for our father' Matthew 3:9." They wished that God should abide with them, that they might "abide in the land" Psalm 37:3, but they cared not to abide with God.
Wesley's Amos 5:14 Bible Commentary
5:14 With you - To bless and save you yet.