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Who really said it

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream

Written in — Amos 5:24 (King James Version) The Book of Amos (King James Version) Hebrew prophet, 8th century BC · KJV translation first published 1611
Verified Free to reuse

This is Amos 5:24 quoted exactly as it stands in the King James Version. The KJV wording is confirmed verbatim; note that it reads “judgment,” not the “justice” of later translations and of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous paraphrase.

Last verified 10 Jul 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” Amos 5:24, King James Version (1611)

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In context

Evoking the world of Amos — Hebrew prophet of Israel · Book of Amos, KJV 1611. Theme: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Work
The Book of Amos, chapter 5, verse 24
Translation
King James Version (Authorized Version), first published 1611
Original
Hebrew prophetic text, traditionally 8th century BC
Confidence
Verified — exact KJV wording

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos 5:23–24 (KJV). The prophet rejects hollow worship and demands justice in its place.

Amos 5:24, King James Version (Bible Hub)

How we verified this

Public domain

The King James Version was first published in 1611; its text is in the public domain in the United States. This exact English wording — “judgment…a mighty stream” — is the KJV rendering, not a modern in-copyright translation.

This reflects the original work, which is public domain. If your exact English wording comes from a specific modern translation, that translation may itself still be under copyright — check the edition you quote.

Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.

Fact-check

The mix-ups

The wording asked about is genuine KJV scripture, but it travels with two common confusions.

Martin Luther King Jr. paraphrase

King made this verse famous by quoting it — but his celebrated wording, near the center of the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech ↗, was “justice rolls down like waters,” a paraphrase closer to the RSV/ASV, not the KJV. The line is often credited to King rather than to Amos.

“justice” vs “judgment” misquote

Many quote the KJV verse but substitute “justice” for the KJV’s “judgment.” The translation comparison ↗ shows “justice” belongs to later versions, while the KJV reads “judgment.”

The exact wording asked about is Amos 5:24 in the King James Version ↗ — genuine, verbatim, and public domain.

Context

Why it endures

Amos delivers this line as the climax of a passage rejecting hollow religion: God says he despises Israel’s feasts and songs and wants something else entirely — justice that runs like water. The metaphor of an unstoppable, ever-flowing stream made it a natural rallying cry for reform movements.

In the 20th century it became a touchstone of the American civil-rights movement, above all through Martin Luther King Jr., who returned to it repeatedly. That is why the verse is now heard as much in political speech as in scripture.

Let judgment run down as waters.

Explore

Filed under

More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.

Justice

Go further

Dig deeper

Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.

Amos 5:24, KJVbiblehub.com

The verse verbatim in the King James Version
Amos 5:24 — all translationsbiblehub.com

Side-by-side comparison showing "judgment" (KJV) vs "justice" (modern versions)
Amos 5:24, KJVkingjamesbibleonline.org

Independent KJV text of the verse
MLK & Amos 5:24conciliarpost.com

How King paraphrased the verse in the "I Have a Dream" speech
Amos 5:24 (YLT compare)blueletterbible.org

Young's Literal and other translations of the same verse

The source

About Amos

Amos

8th century BC · Hebrew prophet of Israel · Book of Amos, KJV 1611

Amos was a herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs from Tekoa in Judah who prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel around the mid-8th century BC. His book is a searing indictment of empty ritual paired with social injustice, and this verse — demanding that justice and righteousness flow unstoppably — is its most quoted line. The English familiar to most readers here is the King James Version of 1611.

For writers & researchers

Cite this

Primary source — Chicago

Amos 5:24, in The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version (London, 1611).

MLA (9th ed.)

Amos. “Amos,” 5:24. The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version, 1611.

APA (7th ed.)

Amos. (1611). The Holy Bible: Authorized (King James) Version (Amos 5:24). (Original work published trad. 8th c. BCE)

This verification page

Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream’?” Last verified 10 Jul 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/but-let-judgment-run-down-as-waters-and-righteousness-as-a/

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