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

biblegateway Amo 6:5

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

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

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.

biblegateway Amo 6:5

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

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

bibleoremus Amo 6:5

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

you improvise on the lute and like David invent musical instruments,

biblegateway Amo 6:5

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

That chant to the sound of the viol, [and] invent to themselves instruments of musick, 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).