Amos 5:18

The return of Christ Judgment

¹⁶ Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

¹⁷ And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD.

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.

¹⁹ As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

²⁰ Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and 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 at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Read in context
Joel 2:1–2
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
Read in context
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Read in context
Malachi 4:1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Read in context
Isaiah 5:19
That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
Read in context
Isaiah 24:11–12
There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
Read in context
Malachi 3:1–2
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Read in context