---
title: "Amos 5:14-15"
description: "The prophet ties loving good to a concrete civic act: 'establish justice in the gate' — the place of legal judgment. Right sentiment must become right law. To hate the evil of abortion without establishing justice against it is to obey only half the command."
type: "scripture"
book: "Amos"
chapter: 5
verses: "14-15"
translation: "NASB"
refutes: "Pro-life incrementalism"
affirms_abolition: true
themes:
  - "establish justice"
  - "the gate / courts"
  - "hate evil love good"
  - "law not sentiment"
source_url: "https://www.abhortion.org/scripture/amos-5-14-15.html"
---

# Amos 5:14-15

Book of Amos · Chapter 5

## The text

> Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you, just as you have said! Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
> — Amos 5:14-15, NASB

**The claim this verse counters:** "Loving good is enough; establishing justice in law can wait."

## The argument

The prophet ties loving good to a concrete civic act: 'establish justice in the gate' — the place of legal judgment. Right sentiment must become right law. To hate the evil of abortion without establishing justice against it is to obey only half the command.

## Context & notes

'The gate' was the ancient courtroom. Amos joins moral disposition ('hate evil, love good') to legal action ('establish justice'). Abolitionists use it against a merely attitudinal pro-life posture.

## Themes

- establish justice
- the gate / courts
- hate evil love good
- law not sentiment

## Discussion questions

1. Amos ties 'love good' to 'establish justice in the gate.' Can we claim the first while neglecting the second?
2. Where is the modern 'gate,' and what would establishing justice there look like on abortion?

## Source transcript

Drawn from Does the Pro-Life Movement Hate Justice? (T. Russell Hunter, 'Justice Alone') — 'Hate evil, love good, establish justice in your courts, prophet Amos says.'.

## Related

**Related scriptures:**

- [Isaiah 10:1-2](isaiah-10-1-2.md)
- [Ezekiel 45:9-10](ezekiel-45-9-10.md)
- [Micah 6:8](micah-6-8.md)
- [Deuteronomy 16:20](deuteronomy-16-20.md)

**Related arguments:**

- [God commands 'justice, and only justice' — not partial or deferred justice](../arguments/arg-justice-only.md)

## Attribution

Verse text is quoted from the NASB. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org