Amos 7

Warning through Visions

1This is what the Lord 1God showed me, and behold, He was forming a 2swarm of locusts 3when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. 2And it came about, 4when it had 5finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “6Lord God, please pardon! How can Jacob stand? For he is 7small.”3The Lord 8relented of this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

4So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by 9fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the 10farmland. 5Then I said, “11Lord God, please stop! 12How can Jacob stand? For he is small.”6The Lord 13relented of this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

7So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing 14by a 15vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8And the Lord said to me, “16What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a 17plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will not 1819spare them any longer.9The 20high places of Isaac will become deserted, And the 21sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins. Then I will 22rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos Accused; Gives an Answer

10Then Amaziah, the 23priest of Bethel, sent word to 24Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has 25conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12Then Amaziah said to Amos, “26Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! 13But 27do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a 28sanctuary of the king and a royal 29residence.”

14Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the 30son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a 31grower of sycamore figs. 15But the Lord took me from 32following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go 33prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You 34shall not prophesy against Israel 35nor shall you 36prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ 17Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your 37wife will become a prostitute in the city, your 38sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die 39upon 40unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”