Amos 7

1 Thus did the Lord Jehovah shew unto 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 mowings.

This is what the Lord God showed me: he was forming a swarm of locusts, when the late spring grass began to come up after the king’s share had been harvested.

2 And it came to pass, when they had wholly eaten the grass of the land, that I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee! How shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

And when they had finished devouring all the land’s vegetation, I said: ‘Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jacob survive, for he is so helpless?’

3 Jehovah repented for this: It shall not be, said Jehovah.

The Lord relented. This will not happen,’ said the Lord.

4 Thus did the Lord Jehovah shew unto me; and behold, the Lord Jehovah called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and ate up the inheritance.

This is what he showed me: the Lord God was giving command to execute judgment by fire. It burned up the great deep, and had begun to devour the fields, and I said:

5 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee! How shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

‘Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jacob survive, for he is so helpless?’

6 Jehovah repented for this: This also shall not be, said the Lord Jehovah.

The Lord relented. ‘This will not happen either,’ said the Lord.

7 Thus did he shew unto me; and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall [made] by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.

This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with 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. And the Lord said, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.

And the Lord said to me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ And I answered, ‘A plumb line,’ Then the Lord said, ‘Watch: I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel, I will no longer overlook their crookedness.

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

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

10 Then 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.

Then Amaziah, chief priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: ‘Amos has conspired against you right in the heart of Israel. The country cannot survive all his words.

11 For thus Amos saith: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall certainly go into captivity out of his land.

Amos has said, “Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will be led away captive out of their land.”’

12 And Amaziah said unto Amos, [Thou] seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there.

And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘Leave, you who see visions, go to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and prophesy there,

13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the house of the kingdom.

but don’t prophesy any more at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is the royal residence.’

14 And Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit.

‘I am no prophet,’ Amos answered Amaziah, ‘nor trained as one. I am a shepherd and a keeper of sycamores fig trees.

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

But the Lord took me away from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”

16 And now hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and utter not [words] against the house of Isaac.

Now therefore listen to the Lord’s message: “You say not to prophesy against Israel, nor to preach 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 with the line; and thou shalt die in a land that is unclean; and Israel shall certainly go into captivity, out of his land.

But the Lord says: Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be divided up, you will die on unclean soil, and Israel will be led away captive out of their land.”’