KJV King James Version
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Amos 8:5
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
asking, “When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, that we may market wheat? Let us reduce the ephah and increase the shekel; let us cheat with dishonest scales.
WEB World English Bible
Saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;
ASV American Standard Version
saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit;
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Saying, When doth the new moon pass, And we sell ground corn? And the sabbath, and we open out pure corn? To make little the ephah, And to make great the shekel, And to use perversely balances of deceit.
Surrounding context — Amos 8
2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.
3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: [there shall be] many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast [them] forth with silence.
4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,
5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; [yea], and sell the refuse of the wheat?
7 The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.
8 Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as [by] the flood of Egypt.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
לֵאמֹ֗רH559 · a.marto sayמָתַ֞יH4970 · ma.tayhowיַעֲבֹ֤רH5674 · a.varto passהַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙H2320 · cho.deshmonthוְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָהH7666 · sha.varto buy grainשֶּׁ֔בֶרH7668 · she.vergrainוְהַשַּׁבָּ֖תH7676 · shab.batSabbathוְנִפְתְּחָה־H6605 · pa.tachto openבָּ֑רH1250 · bargrainלְהַקְטִ֤יןH6994 · qa.tonbe smallאֵיפָה֙H374 · e.phahephahוּלְהַגְדִּ֣ילH1431 · ga.dalto magnifyשֶׁ֔קֶלH8255 · she.qelshekelוּלְעַוֵּ֖תH5791 · a.vatto pervertמֹאזְנֵ֥יH3976 · mo.zenbalanceמִרְמָֽה׃H4820 · mir.mahdeceit
Cross-references
Nehemiah 13:15-21In those days saw I in Judah [some] treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified [against them] in the day wherein they sold victuals.Micah 6:10-11Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure [that is] abominable?Hosea 12:7[He is] a merchant, the balances of deceit [are] in his hand: he loveth to oppress.Deuteronomy 25:13-16Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.Leviticus 19:36Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.Exodus 20:8-10Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.Proverbs 16:11A just weight and balance [are] the LORD’S: all the weights of the bag [are] his work.Proverbs 11:1A false balance [is] abomination to the LORD: but a just weight [is] his delight.Isaiah 1:13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.Proverbs 20:23Divers weights [are] an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance [is] not good.Numbers 10:10Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I [am] the LORD your God.Ezekiel 45:10-12Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.2 Kings 4:23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? [it is] neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, [It shall be] well.Psalm 81:3-4Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.Numbers 28:11-15And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;Isaiah 58:13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:Malachi 1:13Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness [is it]! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought [that which was] torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.Colossians 2:16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Amos 8:5
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →