Amos 7

The Vision of the Locusts

1 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was forming locusts right when the late crops started growing, after the king’s share had been harvested.

2 When they finished eating all the plants in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive. How can Jacob survive, He is too small.”

3 The LORD changed His mind about it. “It will not happen,” said the LORD.

The Vision of Fire

4 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD called for judgment by fire, and it dried up the great deep and was about to burn up the land.

5 Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop. How can Jacob survive, He is too small.”

6 The LORD changed His mind about this too. “This will not happen either,” said the Lord GOD.

The Vision of the Plumb Line

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

8 The LORD said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel. I will not overlook their sin anymore.

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

Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos is raising trouble against you right here in Israel. The land cannot handle everything he is saying.

11 Because Amos is saying, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile away from their land.’”

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer, go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.

13 But do not prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet. I was a shepherd and took care of sycamore trees.

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

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

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