Amos 7

1 This is what the Lord God showed me. I saw that he was preparing a swarm of locusts just when the spring crops began to grow. (Spring crops begin to grow right after the time when the king's hay is cut.)

This is what the Lord Yahweh showed me. Look, he formed a locust swarm when the spring crop began to come up, and, look, it was the late crop after the king's harvest.

2 And so when the locusts finished eating every green plant in the fields, I pleaded with the Lord God, “Please forgive your people! How can the descendants of Jacob survive? They are so weak.”

When they finished eating the vegetation of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, please forgive; how will Jacob survive? For he is so small.”

3 So the Lord changed his mind. “It won't happen,” said the Lord.

Yahweh relented concerning this. “It will not happen,” he said.

4 This is what the Lord God showed me. I saw that the Lord God was calling for a judgment of fire. The fire burned up the depths of the sea and destroyed the farmland.

This is what the Lord Yahweh showed me: Look, the Lord Yahweh called on fire to judge. It dried the vast, deep water under the earth and would have devoured the land, also.

5 I pleaded with the Lord God, “Please stop! How can the descendants of Jacob survive? They are so weak.”

But I said, “Lord Yahweh, please stop; how will Jacob survive? For he is so small.”

6 So the Lord changed his mind. “This too won't happen,” said the Lord.

Yahweh relented concerning this, “This also will not happen,” said the Lord Yahweh.

7 This is what he showed me. I saw the Lord was standing beside a wall that had been built with a plumb line. He was holding a plumb line in his hand.

This is what he showed me: Look, the Lord stood beside a wall, with a plumb line in his hand.

8 And the Lord asked me, “Amos, what do you see?” I replied, “A plumb line.” And the Lord God said, “I am placing a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I won't ignore their sins anymore.

Yahweh said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Look, I will put a plumb line among my people Israel. I will spare them no longer.

9 The high places of the descendents of Isaac will be torn down, and the holy places of Israel will be destroyed. Sword in hand, I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam.”

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

10 Then Amaziah, priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel, saying, “Amos is plotting against you among the people of Israel. What he's saying is unbearable!

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.

11 For he's saying Jeroboam will be killed by the sword, and the people will be taken away from their land into exile.”

For this is what Amos said, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile away from his land.'”

12 Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away prophet! Run away to the land of Judah. Go and prophesy there to earn your bread.

Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer, go, run back to the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy.

13 But don't ever prophesy again at Bethel, for this is where the king worships, the national Temple.”

But do not prophesy anymore here at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal house.”

14 But Amos replied, “I'm not a trained prophet, or the son of a prophet. I was just a shepherd, and also took care of fig trees.

Then Amos said to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet nor a prophet's son. I am a herdsman, and I take care of sycamore fig trees.

15 The Lord took me from following my flock, and the Lord told me, ‘Go, and give my message to my people of Israel.’”

But Yahweh took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

16 So now hear what the Lord is telling you: You say, “Don't prophesy against Israel, and don't preach against the descendants of Isaac.”

Now hear the word of Yahweh. You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not speak against the house of Isaac.'

17 But this is what the Lord says: Your wife will become a prostitute in the city; your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a foreign land. The people of Israel will definitely be taken from the land and go into exile.

Therefore this is what Yahweh says, 'Your wife will be a prostitute in the city; your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword; your land will be measured and divided up; you will die in an unclean land, and Israel will surely go into exile from his land.'”