Amos 5:20 (YLT)

Passage

Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

Nearby Context

Amos 5:18 Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why <FI>is<Fi> this to you--the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,

Amos 5:19 As <FI>when<Fi> one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.

Amos 5:20 Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

Amos 5:21 I have hated--I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.

Amos 5:22 For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "darkness", "jehovah", "even", "thick", "hath", and "brightness". It is saying that the contrast between light and darkness marks a real divide in how people respond to God's work.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "As FI when Fi one fleeth from..." into verse 21's "I have hated--I have loathed your festivals...", so "light" and "darkness" 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 "light" and "darkness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.