Amos 7

1 Thus 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.2 And 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.3 Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah.4 Thus 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.5 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.6 Jehovah repented concerning this: this also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah.7 Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.8 And 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;9 and 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.10 Then 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.11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:13 but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house.14 Then 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:15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.16 Now therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac;17 therefore 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.

Amos 7

Symbolic Visions of Judgment

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

2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,
“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel!t
How can Jacob survive?t
He is too weak!”t

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

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

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

6 The Lord decided not to do this.t The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”
7 He showed me this: I sawt the sovereign Onet standing by a tint wall holding tin in his hand.

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

9 Isaac’s centers of worshipt will become desolate;
Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.
I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.”t

Amos Confronts a Priest

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

11 As a matter of fact,t Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exilet away from its land.’”
12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary!t Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your livingt and prophesy there!

13 Don’t prophesy at Bethels any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!”t
14 Amos repliedt to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession.t No,t I was a herdsman who also took care ofts sycamore fig trees.s15 Then the Lord took me from tendingt flocks and gave me this commission,t ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’

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

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streetst
and your sons and daughters will die violently.t
Your land will be given to otherst
and you will die in a foreignt land.
Israel will certainly be carried into exilet away from its land.’”