Warning Visions
aThis is what the Lord God showed me: behold, bhe was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,
“O Lord God, please forgive!
aHow can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
3 aThe Lord relented concerning this:
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
4 aThis is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling bfor a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5 Then I said,
“O Lord God, please cease!
aHow can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
6 aThe Lord relented concerning this:
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
7 aThis is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with ba plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, a“Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting ba plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
aI will never again pass by them;
9 athe high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against bthe house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
10 Then Amaziah athe priest of Bethel sent to bJeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has cconspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and aIsrael must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, a“O seer, go, flee away bto the land of Judah, and ceat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but anever again prophesy at Bethel, for bit is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, a“I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but bI was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 aBut the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 aNow therefore hear the word of the Lord.
“You say, b‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and cdo not preach against the house of dIsaac.’
17 aTherefore thus says the Lord:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land bshall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and cIsrael shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”