Amos 5:18

The return of Christ Judgment

¹⁶ Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail.

¹⁷ There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD.

Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.

¹⁹ It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake.

²⁰ Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it?

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light.
KJV: Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
WEB: “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.
ASV: Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light.
DARBY: Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! To what end is the day of Jehovah for you? It shall be darkness and not light:
BLB: Woe to those desiring the day of YHWH, for what [is] this to you⁺—the day of YHWH? It [is] darkness and not light,

ÅB: Ve dem som stunder etter Herrens dag! Hva vil dere da med Herrens dag? Den er mørke og ikke lys.
OTB: Ve dere som lengter etter Herrens dag!
Hvorfor ønsker dere Herrens dag?
Den vil være mørke, ikke lys.
B1930: Ve dem som stunder efter Herrens dag! Hvad vil I da med Herrens dag? Den er mørke og ikke lys.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joel 1:15
Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Read in context
Joel 2:1–2
Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near—
Read in context
Joel 2:31
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.
Read in context
Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
Read in context
Isaiah 5:19
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”
Read in context
Isaiah 24:11–12
In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land.
Read in context
Malachi 3:1–2
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Read in context