Amos 5:21 (YLT)

Passage

I have hated--I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.

Nearby Context

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.

Amos 5:23 Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hated--i", "loathed", "festivals", "refreshed", and "restraints". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hated--i" and "loathed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Is not the day of Jehovah darkness..." into verse 22's "For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your...", so "hated--i" and "loathed" 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 "hated--i" and "loathed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.