Amos 6:5
New International Version
You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

New Living Translation
You sing trivial songs to the sound of the harp and fancy yourselves to be great musicians like David.

English Standard Version
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music,

Berean Standard Bible
You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.

King James Bible
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

New King James Version
Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;

New American Standard Bible
Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,

NASB 1995
Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,

NASB 1977
Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,

Legacy Standard Bible
Who improvise to the sound of the harp, And like David have composed songs for themselves,

Amplified Bible
Who improvise to the sound of the harp— Like David they have composed songs for themselves—

Christian Standard Bible
They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They improvise songs to the sound of the harp and invent their own musical instruments like David.

American Standard Version
that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Who strike on the mouth of the harp, and like David they devised for themselves instruments of music

Brenton Septuagint Translation
who excel in the sound of musical instruments; they have regarded them as abiding, not as fleeting pleasures;

Contemporary English Version
You sing foolish songs to the music of harps, and you make up new tunes, just as David used to do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
You that sing to the sound of the psaltery: they have thought themselves to have instruments of music like David;

English Revised Version
that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that devise for themselves instruments of music, like David;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How horrible it will be for those who make up songs as they strum a harp. Like David, they write all kinds of songs for themselves.

Good News Translation
You like to compose songs, as David did, and play them on harps.

International Standard Version
chanting to the sound of stringed instruments as if they were David, composing songs to themselves as if they were musicians,

JPS Tanakh 1917
That thrum on the psaltery, That devise for themselves instruments of music, like David;

Literal Standard Version
Who are taking part according to the stringed instrument, | Like David they invented for themselves instruments of music;

Majority Standard Bible
You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments.

New American Bible
Who improvise to the music of the harp, composing on musical instruments like David,

NET Bible
They sing to the tune of stringed instruments; like David they invent musical instruments.

New Revised Standard Version
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music;

New Heart English Bible
who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

Webster's Bible Translation
That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;

World English Bible
who strum on the strings of a harp, who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David;

Young's Literal Translation
Who are taking part according to the psaltery, Like David they invented for themselves instruments of music;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woe to those at Ease in Zion
4You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. 5You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments. 6You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 15:16
David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments--harps, lyres, and cymbals.

1 Chronicles 23:5
4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise."

Isaiah 5:12
At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

Ezekiel 26:13
So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.

Amos 8:3
"In that day," declares the Lord GOD, "the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many will be the corpses, strewn in silence everywhere!"


Treasury of Scripture

That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;

chant.

Genesis 31:27
Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

Job 21:11,12
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance…

Ecclesiastes 2:8
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

like.

Amos 5:23
Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

Amos 8:3
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.

1 Chronicles 23:5
Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

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Chant Composed Corded David Designing Devise Foolish Harp Harps Idle Instruments Invent Lute Making Music Musical Musick Psaltery Sing Songs Sound Strings Themselves Viol
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Chant Composed Corded David Designing Devise Foolish Harp Harps Idle Instruments Invent Lute Making Music Musical Musick Psaltery Sing Songs Sound Strings Themselves Viol
Amos 6
1. The wantonness of Israel,
7. shall be plagued with desolation;
12. and their incorrigibleness shall end in affliction.














(5) Chant.--The original Hebrew only occurs in this passage, and is best rendered prattle, or jabber. The comparison with David is ironical He made these instruments to please the Lord, these princes to please themselves.

Verse 5. - That chant. The word parat (ἅπαξ λεγόμενον) means rather "to prattle," "to sing idle songs," as the Revised Version translates it. The reading of the Septuagint varies between ἐπικρατοῦντες. "excelling," and ἐπικροτοῦντες, the latter of which words might mean "applauding." Viol (see note on Amos 5:23). Invent to themselves instruments of music, like David. As David devised stringed instruments and modes of singing to do honour to God and for the service of his sanctuary (see 1 Chronicles 15:16, etc.; 1 Chronicles 23:5; 2 Chronicles 29:26, 27; and the supernumerary psalm at the end of the Psalter in the Septuagint), so these debauchees invented new singing and playing to grace their luxurious feasts. The Septuagint rendering, which Jerome calls "sensus pulcherrimus," is not to be explained by the present Hebrew text, however true to fact it may be considered, Ὡς ἑστηκότα ἐλογίσαντο καὶ οὐχ ὡς φεύγοντα. "Regarded them as abiding and not as fleeting things."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You improvise
הַפֹּרְטִ֖ים (hap·pō·rə·ṭîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6527: To scatter words, prate

songs
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

on the harp
הַנָּ֑בֶל (han·nā·ḇel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5035: A skin-bag for, liquids, a vase, a lyre

like David
כְּדָוִ֕יד (kə·ḏā·wîḏ)
Preposition-k | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

and invent
חָשְׁב֥וּ (ḥā·šə·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2803: To think, account

your own
לָהֶ֖ם (lā·hem)
Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

musical
שִֽׁיר׃ (šîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7892: A song, singing

instruments.
כְּלֵי־ (kə·lê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus


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OT Prophets: Amos 6:5 Who strum on the strings (Amo. Am)
Amos 6:4
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