Amos 5:6

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Seek ye Yahweh, and live, - lest he break forth, like a fire, upon the house of Joseph, and it devour with none to quench it, for Bethel.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Seeke the Lorde, and yee shal liue, least he breake out like fire in the house of Ioseph & deuoure it, & there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

Christian Standard Bible®
Seek the Lord and live,or he will spread like firethroughout the house of Joseph;it will consume everythingwith no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

Hebrew Names Version
Seek the LORD, and you will live; Lest he break out like fire in the house of Yosef, And it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Beit-El.

Darby Translation
Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it], and there be none to quench [it] in Bethel.

Easy-to-Read Version
Come to the Lord and live. If you don't go to him, a fire will start at Joseph's house, and no one in Bethel can stop it.

Amplified Bible
"Seek the LORD [search diligently for Him and long for Him as your most essential need] so that you may live, Or He will rush down like a [devouring] fire, O house of Joseph, And there will be no one to quench the flame for [idolatrous] Bethel,

American Standard Version
Seek Jehovah, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.

Berean Standard Bible
Seek the LORD and live, or He will spread like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

Contemporary English Version
Turn back to the Lord , you descendants of Joseph, and you will live. If you don't, the Lord will attack like fire. Bethel will burn to the ground, and no one can save it.

Complete Jewish Bible
If you seek Adonai , you will survive. Otherwise, he will break out against the house of Yosef like fire, devouring Beit-El, with no one to quench the flames.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Seek the LORD, and live--lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be none to quench it in Bethel--

King James Version (1611)
Seeke the Lord, and ye shall liue, lest hee breake out like fire in the house of Ioseph and deuoure it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Seke the Lord, and ye shall liue: lest he breake out like fire in the house of Ioseph, and deuoure it, and there be noone to quenche it in Bethel.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Seek ye the Lord, and ye shall live; lest the house of Joseph blaze as fire, and it devour him, and there shall be none to quench it for the house of Israel.

English Revised Version
Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour and there be none to quench it in Beth-el:

Lexham English Bible
Seek Yahweh so that you may live, so that he will not break out like a fire against the house of Joseph! And it will devour, with none to quench it for Bethel.

Literal Translation
Seek Jehovah, and live, that He not break out like a fire on the house of Joseph, and consume, and no one is putting it out for Bethel.

New Century Version
Come to the Lord and live, or he will move like fire against the descendants of Joseph. The fire will burn Bethel, and there will be no one to put it out.

New English Translation
Seek the Lord so you can live! Otherwise he will break out like fire against Joseph's family; the fire will consume and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel.

New King James Version
Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel--

New Living Translation
Come back to the Lord and live! Otherwise, he will roar through Israel like a fire, devouring you completely. Your gods in Bethel won't be able to quench the flames.

New Life Bible
Look for the Lord and live, or He will break out like fire in the family of Joseph. It will destroy, and no one in Bethel will be able to stop it.

New Revised Standard
Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Seek ye the Lord, and live: lest the house of Joseph be burnt with fire, and it shall devour, and there shall be none to quench Bethel.

George Lamsa Translation
Seek the LORD and you shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour Beth-el, and there will be none to quench it.

Good News Translation
Go to the Lord , and you will live. If you do not go, he will sweep down like fire on the people of Israel. The fire will burn up the people of Bethel, and no one will be able to put it out.

Webster's Bible Translation
Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it], and [there be] none to quench [it] in Beth-el.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Seke ye the Lord, and lyue ye, lest perauenture the hous of Joseph be brent as fier; and it schal deuoure Bethel, and there schal not be, that schal quenche.

Young's Literal Translation
Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire [against] the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El.

World English Bible
Seek Yahweh, and you will live; Lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

Revised Standard Version
Seek the LORD and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,

Update Bible Version
Seek Yahweh, and you shall live; or else he will break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it will devour, and there will be none to quench it in Beth-el.

Bible in Basic English
Go to the Lord for help so that you may have life; for fear that he may come like fire bursting out in the family of Joseph, causing destruction, and there will be no one to put it out in Beth-el.

New American Standard Bible
"Seek the LORD so that you may live, Or He will break through like a fire, house of Joseph, And it will consume with no one to extinguish it for Bethel,

King James Version
Seek the Lord , and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Seke the LORDE, yt ye maye lyue: lest the house of Ioseph be brent with fyre and cosumed, and lest there be none to quench Bethel.

THE MESSAGE
So seek God and live! You don't want to end up with nothing to show for your life But a pile of ashes, a house burned to the ground. For God will send just such a fire, and the firefighters will show up too late.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,

Legacy Standard Bible
Seek Yahweh that you may live,Lest He come mightily like a fire, O house of Joseph,And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel,

Contextual Overview

⁴ For, thus, saith Yahweh, to the house of Israel, - Seek me, and live; ⁵ Then do not seek Bethel, and, Gilgal, shall ye not enter, and, unto Beer-sheba, shall ye not cross over, For, Gilgal, shall, surely go into exile, and, Bethel, shall become a trouble. ⁶ Seek ye Yahweh, and live, - lest he break forth, like a fire, upon the house of Joseph, and it devour with none to quench it, for Bethel. ⁷ Ye who turn, into, wormwood, justice, and, righteousness - to the ground have let fall. ⁸ Seek him who made the Cluster and the Giant, and turneth, into morning, the shadow of death, and who, day into night, doth darken, Him who calleth to the waters of the sea, and poureth them out on the face of the land, Yahweh, is his name: ⁹ Him who flasheth force on the strong, - and, force, on the fortress, alighteth! ¹⁰ They hate the man who, in the gate, rebuketh, - and, him who speaketh truthfully, they abhor. ¹¹ Therefore - because ye have trampled on the poor, and, the gift of corn, ye would take away from him, though, houses of hewn stone, ye have built, Yet shall ye not dwell in them, - Though, delightful vineyards, ye have planted, Yet shall ye not drink the wine of them. ¹² For I know how numerous are your transgressions, and how surpassing your sins, - ye adversaries of the righteous! ye acceptors of a bribe! Even the needy in the gate, have they turned away! ¹³ Therefore, the prudent man, at that time, will be dumb, - Because an evil time, it is!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Seek: Amos 5:4, Ezekiel 33:11

lest: Exodus 22:6

the house: Amos 6:6, Genesis 48:8-20, Joshua 18:5, Judges 1:22, Judges 1:23, 2 Samuel 19:20, 1 Kings 11:28, Ezekiel 37:19, Zechariah 10:6

there: Isaiah 1:31, Jeremiah 4:4, Jeremiah 7:20, Ezekiel 20:47, Ezekiel 20:48, Mark 9:43-48

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 18:11 - the king 1 Chronicles 16:11 - Seek Isaiah 45:7 - I make Peace Isaiah 51:1 - ye that seek Isaiah 55:6 - Seek Jeremiah 48:13 - as the Hosea 10:12 - time Amos 5:15 - the remnant Amos 7:4 - called Acts 8:22 - pray

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth - to him also, was born a son, and he called his name Enosh, - then, was a beginning made, to call on the name of Yahweh.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Seek the Lord, and ye shall live,.... This is, repeated to stir up unto it, because of their backwardness and slothfulness, and to show the importance and necessity of it. By the "Lord" may be meant the Messiah, Israel's God that was to come, and they were to prepare to meet, Amos 4:12; and the rather, since life spiritual and eternal is only to be had from him, and he is to be sought unto for it, and all the blessings of it, peace, pardon, righteousness, rest, and salvation as well as temporal deliverance, and all outward mercies:

lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour [it]; that is, lest his wrath and fury break out like fire as the Targum, by sending an enemy to invade the land, destroy it, and carry the inhabitants of it captive; even all the ten tribes, who frequently go by the name of Ephraim the son of Joseph, that being the principal tribe, and the first king of them being of it:

and [there be] none to quench [it] in Bethel; the calf worshipped there, and the priests that officiated, would not be able to avert the stroke of divine vengeance, or turn back the enemy, and save the land from ruin. The Targum is,

"and there be none to quench it, because of your sins, who have been serving idols in Bethel.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live - Literally, “seek the Lord and live;” being united to Him, the Fountain of life. He reimpresses on them the one simple need of the creature, “seek God,” the one true God as He revealed Himself, not as worldly people, or the politicians of Jeroboam’s court, or the calf-priests, fabled of Him. “Seek Him.” For in Him is all; without Him, nothing.

Lest He break out like fire in Bethel - Formerly the Spirit of God came vehemently down upon Sansom Judges 14:6, Judges 14:19; Judges 15:14 and Saul 1 Samuel 10:6; 1 Samuel 11:6 and David 1 Samuel 16:13, to fit them as instruments for God; as did the Evil spirit, when God departed from Saul 1 Samuel 18:10. So now, unless they repented, God Himself would suddenly show His powerful presence among them, but, as He had revealed Himself to be, “the, Lord thy God is a consuming Fire” Deuteronomy 4:24. “And devour” it, literally, “and it” (the fire) “shall devor, and” there be “none to quench” it “in” (better, “for”) Bethel.” Bethel, the center of their idol-hopes, so far from aiding them then, shall not be able to help itself, nor shall there be any to help it. The fire of God kindles around it, and there is none to quench it for her (as in Jeremiah 4:4).

Montanus: “The whole place treateth of mercy and justice. The whole ground of people’s punishment, calamities, condemnation is ascribed to their own fault and negligence, who neglect the deliverance often promised and offered them by God, and ‘love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil’ John 3:19. Whoever is not saved, the whole blame lies in their own will and negligence and malice. God, who ‘willeth not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ 2 Peter 3:9, Himself unsought, seeks, entreats, ceases not to monish, exhort, set before them their guilt, that they may cease to prepare such evil for themselves. But they neither give Him entrance, nor hear His entreaties, nor admit the warnings of the divine mercy, which if they neglect, they must needs be made over to His justice. The goodness of God is lacking to no one, save those who are wanting to themselves. Wherefore, having often besought them before, He invites them yet again to salvation, putting forth that His Name, so full of mysteries of mercy; ‘Seek the Lord and live,’” seek Him who is, the Unchangeable. He who had willed their salvation, still willed it, for He “changes not” Malachi 3:6. “He adds threatenings, that those whom He calls to life, He might either allure by promises, or scare from death through fear of the impending evil.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 5:6. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live — Repeated from Amos 5:4.

In the house of Joseph — The Israelites of the ten tribes, of whom Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, were the chief.