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Saturday, October 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Amos 5:24

Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.

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.
Darby Translation
but let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as 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 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 absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies! 22 Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. 23 Take away from me your noisy songs; I don't want to hear the music of your stringed instruments. 24 Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up. 25 You did not bring me sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family of Israel. 26 You will pick up your images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kiyyun, your star god, which you made for yourselves, 27 and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord . He is called the God who commands armies!

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
The entire lifetime of Adam was 930 years, and then he died.
Genesis 5:6
When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.
Genesis 5:22
After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 37:30
returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy isn't there! And I, where can I go?"
Genesis 42:36
Their father Jacob said to them, "You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. And now you want to take Benjamin! Everything is against me."
2 Kings 2:1
Just before the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.
Jeremiah 31:15
The Lord says, "A sound is heard in Ramah, a sound of crying in bitter grief. It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone."
Matthew 2:18
" A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone ."
Luke 23:43
And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus 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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