Amos 6:5

They sing ¹  to the tune of ²  stringed instruments; ³  like David they invent ⁴  musical instruments.

biblegateway Amo 6:5

You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.

biblegateway Amo 6:5

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

biblegateway Amo 6:5

You sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and you fancy yourselves to be great musicians, as King David was.

biblegateway Amo 6:5

Woe to those who live only for today, indifferent to the fate of others! Woe to the playboys, the playgirls, who think life is a party held just for them!

SABDAweb Amo 6:5

Making foolish songs to the sound of corded instruments, and designing for themselves instruments of music, like David;

bibleoremus Amo 6:5

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

biblegateway Amo 6:5

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

biblegateway Amo 6:5

They sing ¹  to the tune of ²  stringed instruments; ³  like David they invent ⁴  musical instruments.

¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּרַט (parat), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. Some translate “strum,” “pluck,” or “improvise.”

² tn Heb “upon the mouth of,” that is, “according to.”

³ sn The stringed instruments mentioned here are probably harps (cf. NIV, NRSV) or lutes (cf. NEB).

⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew phrase חָשְׁבוּ לָהֶם (khoshvu lahem) is uncertain. Various options include: (1) “they think their musical instruments are like David’s”; (2) “they consider themselves musicians like David”; (3) “they esteem musical instruments highly like David”; (4) “they improvise [new songs] for themselves [on] instruments like David”; (5) “they invent musical instruments like David.” However, the most commonly accepted interpretation is that given in the translation (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 206-7).