King James Version

Amos 5:14

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

דִּרְשׁוּdirshvaskדָּרַשׁverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “ask”, a commandH1875properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worshipask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely.ט֥וֹבtovgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…וְאַלvealand notאַלconjunction, particle, negative — “and not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.רָ֖עrabadרַעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…לְמַ֣עַןlemaanthatמַעַןpreposition — “that”H4616properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order thatbecause of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to.תִּֽחְי֑וּtichyvliveחָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “live”, an unfinished actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.וִיהִיvihiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a wish or indirect commandH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כֵ֞ןkhenas... asכֵּןadverb — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…יְהוָ֧הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֵֽיeloheGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.צְבָא֛וֹתtsevaotarmyצָבָאnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “army”, the ordinary formH6635a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare).אִתְּכֶ֖םitkhemamongאֵתpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…אֲמַרְתֶּֽםamartemsayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.

Young’s Literal Translation

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, [is] with you, as ye said.

World English Bible

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

Darby Translation

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so Jehovah, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye say.

Douay-Rheims

Seek ye good, and not evil, that you may live: and the Lord the God of hosts will be with you, as you have said.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as ye say.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord God Almighty shall be with you, as ye have said,

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐκζητήσατε τὸ καλὸν, καὶ μὴ πονηρὸν, ὅπως ζήσητε, καὶ ἔσται οὕτως μεθʼ ὑμῶν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὃν τρόπον εἴπατε,