Amos 8:5
New International Version
saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,

New Living Translation
You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.

English Standard Version
saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances,

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.

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit,

New American Standard Bible
saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain; And the Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market, To make the ephah smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales,

NASB 1995
saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales,

NASB 1977
saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales,

Legacy Standard Bible
saying, “When will the new moon pass over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with a deceptive balance,

Amplified Bible
saying, “When will the New Moon [festival] be over So that we may sell grain, And the Sabbath ended so that we may open the wheat market, Making the ephah [measure] smaller and the shekel bigger [that is, selling less for a higher price] And to cheat by falsifying the scales,

Christian Standard Bible
asking, “When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
asking, “When will the New Moon be over so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so we may market wheat? We can reduce the measure while increasing the price and cheat with dishonest scales.

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;

Contemporary English Version
You say to yourselves, "How much longer before the end of the New Moon Festival? When will the Sabbath be over? Our wheat is ready, and we want to sell it now. We can't wait to cheat and charge high prices for the grain we sell. We will use dishonest scales

English Revised 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 dealing falsely with balances of deceit;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You say to yourselves, "When will the New Moon Festival be over so that we can sell more grain? When will the day of worship be over so that we can sell more wheat? We can shrink the size of the bushel baskets, increase the cost, and cheat with dishonest scales.

Good News Translation
You say to yourselves, "We can hardly wait for the holy days to be over so that we can sell our grain. When will the Sabbath end, so that we can start selling again? Then we can overcharge, use false measures, and fix the scales to cheat our customers.

International Standard Version
and who are saying, 'When will the New Moon fade so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath conclude so we may market winnowed wheat?— shortchanging the measure, raising the price, falsifying the scales by treachery,

Majority 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.

NET Bible
You say, "When will the new moon festival be over, so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, so we can open up the grain bins? We're eager to sell less for a higher price, and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales!

New Heart 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;

Webster's Bible Translation
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?

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;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Saying, “When does the new moon pass, "" And we sell ground grain? And the Sabbath, and we open out pure grain? To make little the ephah, "" And to make great the shekel, "" And to use balances of deceit perversely.

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.

Smith's Literal Translation
Saying, When will the month pass through, and we will sell grain? and the Sabbath, and we will open wheat to diminish the ephah, and to enlarge the shekel, and to make crooked the balance of deceit?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: When will the month be over, and we shall sell our wares: and the sabbath, and we shall open the corn: that we may lessen the measure, and increase the sicle, and may convey in deceitful balances,

Catholic Public Domain Version
You say, “When will the first day of the month be over, so we can sell our wares, and the sabbath, so we can open the grain: in order that we may decrease the measure, and increase the price, and substitute deceitful scales,

New American Bible
“When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell our grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the grain-bins? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating!

New Revised Standard Version
saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Saying, When will the month be over, that we may sell grain? When will the sabbath be over that we may open storehouses and make our measures small and enlarge weights and make deceitful balances?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they were saying: ”When will the month pass and we will buy grain and the Sabbath will pass and we will open the stores, and we will make small measures and we will make large shekels and we will make a scale of deceit
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Saying: 'When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the sabbath, that we may set forth corn? Making the ephah small, and the shekel great, And falsifying the balances of deceit;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
saying, When will the month pass away, and we shall sell, and the sabbath, and we shall open the treasure, to make the measure small, and to enlarge the weight, and make the balance unfair?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Basket of Ripe Fruit
4Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, 5asking, “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. 6Let us buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the chaff with the wheat!”…

Cross References
Micah 6:10-12
Can I forget any longer, O house of the wicked, the treasures of wickedness and the short ephah, which is accursed? / Can I excuse dishonest scales or bags of false weights? / For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.

Hosea 12:7
A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.

Proverbs 20:23
Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.

Leviticus 19:35-36
You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. / You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 25:13-16
You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. / You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. / You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. ...

Nehemiah 13:15-17
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day. / Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem. / Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

Isaiah 1:13-15
Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. / I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. / When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Jeremiah 5:26-29
For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men. / Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich. / They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. ...

Ezekiel 45:10-12
You must use honest scales, a just ephah, and a just bath. / The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer, and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer will be the standard measure for both. / The shekel will consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels will equal one mina.

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Mark 11:15-17
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. / Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Luke 16:10-13
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. / So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? / And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? ...

James 5:1-6
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ...

Revelation 6:5-6
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. / And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”


Treasury of Scripture

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?

When.

Numbers 10:10
Also 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.

Numbers 28:11-15
And 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; …

2 Kings 4:23
And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

new moon.

Malachi 1:13
Ye 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.

and the.

Exodus 20:8-10
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy…

Nehemiah 13:15-21
In 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…

Isaiah 58:13
If 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:

set forth.

Leviticus 19:36
Just 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.

Deuteronomy 25:13-16
Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small…

Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

falsifying the balances by deceit.

Hosea 12:7
He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

Jump to Previous
Balances Bushel Corn Dealing Deceit Ephah Falsely Forth Grain Great Large Making Market Moon New Open Sabbath Sell Shekel Small Smaller Wheat
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Balances Bushel Corn Dealing Deceit Ephah Falsely Forth Grain Great Large Making Market Moon New Open Sabbath Sell Shekel Small Smaller Wheat
Amos 8
1. By a basket of summer fruit is shown the approach of Israel's end.
4. Oppression is reproved.
11. A famine of the word of God threatened.














When will the New Moon be over
The New Moon was a significant time in the Hebrew calendar, marking the beginning of a new month and often associated with religious observance and rest (Numbers 28:11-15). The Hebrew word for "New Moon" is "chodesh," which signifies renewal. In this context, the merchants' impatience for the New Moon to end reveals their disregard for spiritual observance in favor of economic gain. This attitude reflects a heart that prioritizes material wealth over spiritual devotion, a theme that resonates throughout the prophetic literature as a call to genuine worship and integrity.

that we may sell grain?
Selling grain was a common economic activity in ancient Israel, essential for sustenance and trade. The Hebrew word for "sell" is "makar," which can also imply betrayal or giving away something valuable. This dual meaning underscores the merchants' willingness to compromise ethical standards for profit. Grain, a staple of life, becomes a symbol of sustenance corrupted by greed. The prophets often condemned such practices, urging a return to justice and righteousness in economic dealings (Micah 6:10-11).

And the Sabbath
The Sabbath, or "Shabbat" in Hebrew, is a day of rest and worship, instituted by God as a covenant sign between Him and Israel (Exodus 31:13). It is a time to cease from labor and focus on spiritual renewal. The merchants' eagerness for the Sabbath to end highlights their neglect of this sacred time, prioritizing commerce over covenant. This attitude reflects a broader societal issue where economic pursuits overshadow spiritual commitments, a recurring theme in the prophetic critique of Israel's unfaithfulness.

that we may open the grain markets
Opening the grain markets signifies the resumption of business activities. The phrase suggests a preoccupation with commerce, even during times meant for rest and reflection. The Hebrew context implies a readiness to exploit opportunities for profit, often at the expense of ethical considerations. This behavior contrasts with the biblical call to fair and just economic practices, emphasizing the need for integrity in all aspects of life (Proverbs 11:1).

to reduce the ephah
The ephah was a unit of measure for dry goods, roughly equivalent to a bushel. Reducing the ephah indicates dishonest practices, such as giving less product than what is paid for. This deceitful behavior is condemned in the Law, which calls for honest weights and measures (Leviticus 19:35-36). The prophets, including Amos, denounce such exploitation, calling for a return to justice and equity in economic transactions.

and enlarge the shekel
The shekel was a standard unit of weight and currency. Enlarging the shekel implies inflating its value, thereby cheating customers. This practice reflects a broader theme of economic injustice prevalent in Israel, where the powerful exploit the vulnerable. The prophetic literature consistently calls for repentance and a return to God's standards of justice, emphasizing that true worship is inseparable from ethical living (Isaiah 1:16-17).

and cheat with dishonest scales?
Dishonest scales symbolize corruption and deceit in business. The Hebrew word for "cheat" is "ashaq," meaning to oppress or defraud. This imagery is powerful, as scales were a common tool in trade, representing fairness and balance. The prophets, including Amos, use this metaphor to highlight the moral decay in society, urging a return to righteousness and integrity. The call to justice is a central theme in the biblical narrative, reflecting God's character and His desire for His people to reflect His holiness in all areas of life (Proverbs 20:23).

(5) When . . . gone.--They desired that the festivals of the New Moon and Sabbath should be over, when they might not only return to their secular employments, but pursue their search for ill-gotten gains--a proof that these festivals were observed in the northern nation, even if they were disliked.

Set forth wheat.--The original signifies the opening of the sacks, or granaries, where the wheat was stored. The greedy mercantile class is referred to. The ephah, which was a dry measure (= three English pecks), was "made small," so that a smaller quantity might be sold. The shekel was the weight against which the precious metal was weighed. If this were fraudulently augmented, more of the gold or silver than was due was demanded for the impoverished ephah.

Falsifying the balances . . .--More accurately, falsifying the deceitful balances, so that the very symbol of justice became the implement of committing injustice. This is frequently condemned in the Law and Prophets (Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:15; Proverbs 11:1; Micah 6:11).

Verse 5. - When? expresses impatience and desire, as in the hymn -

"Thy joys when shall I see?" The new moon. The first day of the month was a holiday, on which all trade was suspended. It is not mentioned in Exodus, Leviticus, or Deuteronomy; but its observance is enjoined in Numbers 28:11, and various notices of this occur in later Scriptures; e.g. 1 Samuel 20:5; 2 Kings 4:23; Hosea 2:11; Colossians 2:16. These greedy sinners kept the festivals, indeed, but they grudged the time given to them, and considered it as wasted. The sabbath. Compare the difficulties with which Nehemiah had to contend in upholding the sanctity of the sabbath (Nehemiah 10:31; Nehemiah 13:15-22). May set forth; literally, open; so Septuagint, καὶ ἀνοίξομεν θησαυρόν. The word expresses the opening of the granaries and storehouses. The ephah, by which corn was measured (see note on Micah 6:10). This they made small, and so gave lees than was paid for. The shekel. The weight by which money was weighed. This they made great, and thus gained too high a price for the quantity of corn. Coined money of determined value seems not to have been used before the return from Captivity, all payments of fixed amount previous to that period being made by weighing (comp. Genesis 23:16; Genesis 33:19; Genesis 43:21; Exodus 30:13; Isaiah 46:6). Falsifying the balances by deceit; better, as in the Revised Version, dealing falsely with balances of deceit. To increase their gains they falsified their scales or used fraudulent weights (see Leviticus 19:36). Thus they cheated the poor probably in three ways - by small measure, exorbitant price, and light weight.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
asking,
לֵאמֹ֗ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“When
מָתַ֞י (mā·ṯay)
Interrogative
Strong's 4970: Extent, when

will the New Moon
הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ (ha·ḥō·ḏeš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

be over
יַעֲבֹ֤ר (ya·‘ă·ḇōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

that we may sell
וְנַשְׁבִּ֣ירָה (wə·naš·bî·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 7666: To deal in grain

grain?
שֶּׁ֔בֶר (še·ḇer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7668: Corn, grain

When will the Sabbath [end],
וְהַשַּׁבָּ֖ת (wə·haš·šab·bāṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7676: Intermission, the Sabbath

that we may market
וְנִפְתְּחָה־ (wə·nip̄·tə·ḥāh-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

wheat?
בָּ֑ר (bār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1250: Grain, the open country

Let us reduce
לְהַקְטִ֤ין (lə·haq·ṭîn)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6994: To diminish, be, diminutive, of no account

the ephah
אֵיפָה֙ (’ê·p̄āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 374: Ephah -- an ephah (a measure of grain)

and increase
וּלְהַגְדִּ֣יל (ū·lə·haḡ·dîl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1431: To grow up, become great

the shekel;
שֶׁ֔קֶל (še·qel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8255: A weight, a commercial standard

let us cheat
וּלְעַוֵּ֖ת (ū·lə·‘aw·wêṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5791: To be bent or crooked

with dishonest
מִרְמָֽה׃ (mir·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4820: Deceit, treachery

scales.
מֹאזְנֵ֥י (mō·zə·nê)
Noun - mdc
Strong's 3976: A pair of scales


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OT Prophets: Amos 8:5 Saying 'When will the new moon be (Amo. Am)
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