Amos 5:5
New International Version
do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

New Living Translation
Don’t worship at the pagan altars at Bethel; don’t go to the shrines at Gilgal or Beersheba. For the people of Gilgal will be dragged off into exile, and the people of Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”

English Standard Version
but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.”

Berean Standard Bible
Do 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.

King James Bible
But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.

New King James Version
But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal, Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing.

New American Standard Bible
“But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to nothing.

NASB 1995
“But do not resort to Bethel And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity And Bethel will come to trouble.

NASB 1977
“But do not resort to Bethel, And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity, And Bethel will come to trouble.

Legacy Standard Bible
But do not seek Bethel, And do not come to Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will certainly go into exile, And Bethel will become evil.

Amplified Bible
“But do not resort to Bethel [to worship the golden calf] Nor enter [idolatrous] Gilgal, Nor cross over to Beersheba [and its idols]; For Gilgal will certainly go into captivity and exile, And Bethel will come to nothing.

Christian Standard Bible
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal or journey to Beer-sheba, for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.

American Standard Version
but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you shall not seek for Bayth Eil and you shall not enter Galgala and you shall not pass on to Beersheba, because Galgala to be taken captive shall be taken captive, and Bayth Eil shall be as if it never existed

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But seek not Bethel, and go not into Galgala, and cross not over to the Well of the Oath: for Galgala shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall be as that which is not.

Contemporary English Version
Don't go to Gilgal or Bethel or even to Beersheba. Gilgal will be dragged away, and Bethel will end up as nothing."

Douay-Rheims Bible
But seek not Bethel, and go not into Galgal, neither shall you pass over to Bersabee: for Galgal shall go into captivity, and Bethel shall be unprofitable.

English Revised Version
but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But don't search [for me] at Bethel. Don't go to Gilgal. Don't travel to Beersheba. Gilgal will certainly go into exile. Bethel will come to nothing.

Good News Translation
Do not go to Beersheba to worship. Do not try to find me at Bethel--Bethel will come to nothing. Do not go to Gilgal--her people are doomed to exile."

International Standard Version
but don't seek Bethel. Don't go to Gilgal, and don't pass over to Beer-sheba. Because Gilgal will surely go into captivity, and Bethel will come to nothing.

JPS Tanakh 1917
But seek not Beth-el, Nor enter into Gilgal, And pass not to Beer-sheba; For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, And Beth-el shall come to nought.

Literal Standard Version
And do not seek Beth-El, and do not enter Gilgal, | And do not pass through Beer-Sheba, | For Gilgal utterly removes, | And Beth-El becomes vanity.

Majority Standard Bible
Do 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.

New American Bible
but do not seek Bethel; Do not come to Gilgal, and do not cross over to Beer-sheba; For Gilgal shall be led into exile and Bethel shall be no more.

NET Bible
Do not seek Bethel! Do not visit Gilgal! Do not journey down to Beer Sheba! For the people of Gilgal will certainly be carried into exile; and Bethel will become a place where disaster abounds."

New Revised Standard Version
but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beer-sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

New Heart English Bible
but do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

Webster's Bible Translation
But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to naught.

World English Bible
but don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

Young's Literal Translation
And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Call to Repentance
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. 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.…

Cross References
Genesis 21:31
So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.

1 Samuel 7:16
Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.

1 Samuel 8:2
The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

1 Samuel 11:14
Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there."

1 Kings 12:28
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, "Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

1 Kings 12:29
One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.

Amos 3:14
On the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.


Treasury of Scripture

But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

seek.

Amos 4:4
Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:

Hosea 4:15
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.

Hosea 9:15
All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

Beer-sheba.

Amos 8:14
They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

Genesis 21:33
And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

Gilgal.

and Beth-el.

Amos 7:17
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

Leviticus 26:30-32
And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you…

Deuteronomy 28:41
Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.

come.

Job 8:22
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Psalm 33:10
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Isaiah 8:10
Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Jump to Previous
Beersheba Beer-Sheba Bethel Beth-El Captivity Cross Enter Exile Gilgal Help Journey Naught Nought Prisoner Reduced Remove Resort Seek Surely Trouble Utterly Vanity Way
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Beersheba Beer-Sheba Bethel Beth-El Captivity Cross Enter Exile Gilgal Help Journey Naught Nought Prisoner Reduced Remove Resort Seek Surely Trouble Utterly Vanity Way
Amos 5
1. A lamentation for Israel.
4. An exhortation to repentance.
21. God rejects their hypocritical service.














(5) Seek.--The same word is used for the searching, or inquiring at idol shrines, which is here fervently condemned. Respecting Beersheba, see Note on Amos 8:14. On Grilgal there is a play of words in the original, which it is impossible to express accurately in translation.

Bethel shall come to nought.--Render (with Luther) Bethel (house of God) shall become Bethaven (house of vanity). The form Bethaven here is supported by the LXX., and appears to confirm the Masoretic reading of Hosea 4:15; Hosea 10:5; and Amos 1:5, where other reasons incline critics to read On for Aven (see the passages).

Verse 5. - Bethel... Gilgal. The scenes of idolatrous worship, where was no true seeking of God (see note on Amos 4:4). Beersheba. A spot about fifty miles southsouthwest of Jerusalem, the site of which has never been lost, and is marked to this day by seven much-frequented wells. As being one of the holy places celebrated in the history of the patriarchs (Genesis 21:31, 33; Genesis 26:23, etc.; Genesis 46:1), it had become a shrine of idolatrous worship, to which the Israelites resorted, though it lay far out of their territory (comp. Amos 8:14). Gilgal shall surely go into captivity. There is in the Hebrew a play on the words here and in the following clause (Hag-gilgal galoh yigleh), which commentators have paralleled with such expressions as, Capua capietur, Cremona cremabitur, Paris perira, "London is undone." Or, taking Joshua's explanation of the name, we may say, "Roll-town shall be rolled away." Bethel shall some to nought. As Bethel, "House of God," had become Bethaven, "House of vanity" (see Hosea 4:15), as being the temple of an idol (comp. 1 Corinthians 8:4), so the prophet, with allusion to this, says that "Bethel shall become aven" - vanity, nothingness, itself. No mention is made of the fate of Beersheba, because Amos has in view only the ten tribes, and the destiny of places beyond their territory is not here the object of his prediction; and indeed, when Israel was ruined, Beersheba escaped unharmed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
וְאַֽל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

seek
תִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ (tiḏ·rə·šū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship

Bethel
אֵ֔ל (’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

or go
תָבֹ֔אוּ (ṯā·ḇō·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to Gilgal;
וְהַגִּלְגָּל֙ (wə·hag·gil·gāl)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine

do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

journey
תַעֲבֹ֑רוּ (ṯa·‘ă·ḇō·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

to Beersheba,
שֶׁ֖בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 884: Beersheba -- 'well of seven', a place in the Negev

for
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Gilgal
הַגִּלְגָּל֙ (hag·gil·gāl)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine

will surely
גָּלֹ֣ה (gā·lōh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

go into exile,
יִגְלֶ֔ה (yiḡ·leh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

and
וּבֵֽית־ (ū·ḇêṯ-)
0
Strong's Hebrew

Bethel
אֵ֖ל (’êl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

will come
יִהְיֶ֥ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

to nothing.
לְאָֽוֶן׃ (lə·’ā·wen)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 205: Strictly nothingness, trouble, vanity, wickedness, an idol


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OT Prophets: Amos 5:5 But don't seek Bethel nor enter into (Amo. Am)
Amos 5:4
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