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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Amos confronts a complacent, unjust society that presumed on God's favor, urging them to abandon their evil ways and genuinely seek good if they want the Lord to be with them.
What Does Amos 5:14 Mean?
Amos 5:14 commands God's people to seek good rather than evil so that they may live and enjoy the Lord's presence. The verb "seek" implies active pursuit -- not a passive wish for goodness but a deliberate search for it, the way one seeks something valuable and lost. Amos confronted a people who claimed God was with them while their lives were marked by injustice and corruption. He cuts through the contradiction: the life and presence they assumed could not be claimed while they pursued evil.
The phrase "that ye may live" reveals what is at stake. The way of evil leads toward death and ruin; the way of good leads toward genuine life. This is not a transaction in which good deeds purchase God's favor, but a description of reality -- aligning oneself with what is good means aligning with the God who is good. The closing words, "as ye have spoken," carry a gentle rebuke. The people had been saying God was with them. Amos tells them that if they truly want His presence to match their words, their conduct must change. The verse remains a clear summons: pursue what is good, turn from what is evil, and find both true life and the abiding presence of God. Profession and practice must agree.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew darash (seek) means to search out, inquire after, or pursue diligently. Tob (good) denotes what is morally upright, beneficial, and pleasing, the opposite of ra, evil.
Cross References
“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
- Amos 5:24
“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
- Psalm 34:14
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
- Micah 6:8
Application
Actively pursue what is good and turn from evil in daily life, so that your conduct matches your claim to belong to God and you experience His presence.