Amos — Chapter 7

1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.

2And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”

3So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.

4This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.

5Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”

6So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen either,” said the Lord GOD.

7This is what He showed me: Behold, the Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand.

8“Amos, what do you see?” asked the LORD. “A plumb line,” I replied. “Behold,” said the Lord, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them:

9The high places of Isaac will be deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with My sword.”

10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words,

11for this is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

12And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.

13But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.”

14“I was not a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees.

15But the LORD took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

16Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’

17Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

1Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.

2And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

3The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD.

4Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.

5Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

6The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.

7Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.

8And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

9And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.

12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.

14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

15And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

16Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.

17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.

1Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king`s mowings.

2And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.

3Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah.

4Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, the Lord Jehovah called to content by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land.

5Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.

6Jehovah repented concerning this: this also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah.

7Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.

8And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more;

9and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

10Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.

12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king`s sanctuary, and it is a royal house.

14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet`s son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees:

15and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

16Now therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not [thy word] against the house of Isaac;

17therefore thus saith Jehovah: Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou thyself shalt die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.

1The Sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.)

2When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said, “Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”

3The Lord decided not to do this. “It will not happen,” the Lord said.

4The Sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the Sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields.

5I said, “Sovereign Lord, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”

6The Lord decided not to do this. The Sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”

7He showed me this: I saw the Lord standing by a tin wall holding tin in his hand.

8The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The Lord then said, “Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel. I will no longer overlook their sin.

9Isaac’s centers of worship will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.”

10Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! The land cannot endure all his prophecies.

11As a matter of fact, Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’”

12Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah. Earn your living and prophesy there!

13Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here.”

14Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees.

15Then the Lord took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel.’

16So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’

17“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets, and your sons and daughters will die violently. Your land will be given to others, and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’”

1Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: and behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s harvest.

2When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

3Yahweh relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says Yahweh.

4Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me and behold, the Lord Yahweh called for judgment by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land.

5Then I said, “Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

6Yahweh relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord Yahweh.

7Thus he showed me and behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

8Yahweh said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more.

9The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.

11For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”

12Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!”

14Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs;

15and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

16Now therefore listen to Yahweh’s word: ‘You say, Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’

17Therefore Yahweh says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”