Amos 5:16 (LSB)

Passage

Therefore thus says Yahweh God of hosts, the Lord, “There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They also call the farmer to mourning And professional weepers to wailing.

Nearby Context

Amos 5:14 Seek good and not evil, in order that you may live; And thus may Yahweh God of hosts be with you, Just as you have said!

Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good, And set justice at the gate! Perhaps Yahweh God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Amos 5:16 Therefore thus says Yahweh God of hosts, the Lord, “There is wailing in all the plazas, And in all the streets they say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They also call the farmer to mourning And professional weepers to wailing.

Amos 5:17 And in all the vineyards there is wailing Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says Yahweh.

Amos 5:18 Woe, you who are longing for the day of Yahweh, For what purpose will the day of Yahweh be to you? It will be darkness and not light;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "thus", "says", "yahweh", "hosts", "lord", "wailing", and "plazas". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "thus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Hate evil love good And set justice..." into verse 17's "And in all the vineyards there is...", so "therefore" and "thus" belong inside that flow. In Amos context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "thus" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.