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Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

The Darby Translation

Amos 5:24

but let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as an ever-flowing stream.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Hypocrisy;   Offerings;   Worship;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Amos;   Justice;   Prophecy, prophet;   Righteousness;   Sacrifice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Ethics;   Hypocrisy;   Legalism;   Motives;   Righteousness;   Worship;   Zechariah, Theology of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amos;   Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acceptance;   Amos;   Forgiveness;   Israel, History of;   Justice;   Pilgrimage;   Praise;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Repentance;   Water;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Amos;   Law;   River;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Anger;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Stream;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Calf, Golden;   High Place;   Idolatry;   Pekahiah;   Salvation;   Sanctification;   Waters;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Amos;   Atonement;   Ceremonies and the Ceremonial Law;   Duty;   Judaism;   Sacrifice;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But let justice flow like water,and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
Hebrew Names Version
But let justice roll on like rivers, And righteousness like a mighty stream.
King James Version
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
English Standard Version
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
New American Standard Bible
"But let justice roll out like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
New Century Version
But let justice flow like a river, and let goodness flow like a never-ending stream.
Amplified Bible
"But let justice run down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream [flowing abundantly].
Geneva Bible (1587)
And let iudgement runne downe as waters, and righteousnesse as a mightie riuer.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Legacy Standard Bible
But let justice roll down like watersAnd righteousness like an ever‑flowing stream.
Berean Standard Bible
But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Contemporary English Version
But let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry.
Complete Jewish Bible
Instead, let justice well up like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Easy-to-Read Version
But let justice flow like a river, and let goodness flow like a stream that never becomes dry.
George Lamsa Translation
But let justice run down like waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Good News Translation
Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.
Lexham English Bible
But let justice roll on like the water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Literal Translation
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
American Standard Version
But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Bible in Basic English
But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But let justice well up as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
King James Version (1611)
But let iudgement run downe as waters, and righteousnesse as a mightie streame.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And let iudgement run downe as water, and righteousnesse as a mightie riuer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But let judgment roll down as water, and righteousness as an impassable torrent.
English Revised Version
But let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
World English Bible
But let justice roll on like rivers, And righteousness like a mighty stream.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And doom schal be schewid as watir, and riytfulnesse as a strong streem.
Update Bible Version
But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Webster's Bible Translation
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
New English Translation
Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.
New King James Version
But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.
New Living Translation
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.
New Life Bible
But let what is fair roll down like waters. Let what is right and good flow forever like a river.
New Revised Standard
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But let, justice, roll along like water, - and, righteousness, as a torrent over flowing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But judgment shall be revealed as water, and justice as a mighty torrent.
Revised Standard Version
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Young's Literal Translation
And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but se that equyte flowe as the water, and rightuousnesse as a mightie streame.

Contextual Overview

21 I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell [a sweet odour] in your solemn assemblies. 22 For if ye offer up unto me burnt-offerings and your oblations, I will not accept [them]; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fatted beasts. 23 Take away from me the noise of thy songs, and I will not hear the melody of thy lutes; 24 but let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as an ever-flowing stream. 25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and oblations in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye had made to yourselves; 27 and I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith Jehovah, whose name is the God of hosts.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let: Amos 5:7, Amos 5:14, Amos 5:15, Job 29:12-17, Proverbs 21:3, Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:8, Mark 12:32-34

run: Heb. roll

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 8:15 - David executed Isaiah 48:18 - then had Ezekiel 18:9 - he shall Hosea 12:6 - keep Zechariah 1:4 - Turn Zechariah 7:9 - saying Zechariah 8:16 - execute the judgment of truth and peace Acts 24:25 - righteousness

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
And all the days of Adam that he lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
Genesis 5:6
And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.
Genesis 5:22
And Enoch walked with God after he had begotten Methushelah three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 37:30
and returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?
Genesis 42:36
And Jacob their father said to them, Ye have bereaved me of children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin! All these things are against me.
2 Kings 2:1
And it came to pass when Jehovah would take up Elijah into the heavens by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Jeremiah 31:15
Thus saith Jehovah: A voice hath been heard in Ramah, the wail of very bitter weeping,—Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are not.
Matthew 2:18
A voice has been heard in Rama, weeping, and great lamentation: Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Luke 23:43
And Jesus said to him, Verily I say to thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as *he* is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But let judgments run down as waters,.... Or "roll" o; in abundance, with great rapidity, bearing down all before them, which nothing can resist; signifying the plenty of justice done in the land, the full and free exercise of it, without any stoppage or intermission:

and righteousness as a mighty stream; the same thing expressed in different words; though some think that not the execution of judgment and justice by men is here exhorted to, but the vindictive justice of God is threatened; which like a mighty torrent of water should come down, overwhelm, bear away, and destroy all before it, even all the transgressors in Israel.

o ויגל "volvatur", Munster, Mercerus, Liveleus, Drusius; "volvat se", Montanus, Vatablus; "revolvet se", Piscator; "provolvatur", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But - (And) let judgment run down (Literally, “roll” English margin) “like water.” The duties of either table include both; since there is no true love for man without the love of God, nor any real love or duty to God without the love of man. People will exchange their sins for other sins. They will not break them off unless they be converted to God. But the first outward step in conversion, is to break off sin. He bids them then “let judgment,” which had hitherto ever been perverted in its course, “roll on like” a mighty tide of “waters,” sweeping before it all hindrances, obstructed by no power, turned aside by no bribery, but pouring on in one perpetual flow, reaching all, refreshing all, and “righteousness like a mighty (or ceaseless) stream.” The word “ethan” may signify “strong or perennial.” Whence the seventh month, just before the early rain, was called “the month Ethanim 1 Kings 8:2, that is, the month of the “perennial streams,” when they alone flowed. In the meaning “perennial,” it would stand tacitly contrasted with “streams which fail or lie.” True righteousness is not fitful, like an intermitting stream, vehement at one time, then disappearing, but continuous, unfailing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Amos 5:24. Let judgment run down — Let the execution of justice be everywhere like the showers that fall upon the land to render it fertile; and let righteousness in heart and life be like a mighty river, or the Jordan, that shall wind its course through the whole nation, and carry every abomination into the Dead Sea. Let justice and righteousness prevail everywhere, and sweep their contraries out of the land.


 
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