Amos 7

1 Thus Lord YHWH has showed me, and behold, He is forming locusts at the beginning of the ascending of the latter growth, and behold, the latter growth [is] after the mowings of the king [[or King Gog]];

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.)

2 and it has come to pass, when it has finished to consume the herb of the land, that I say, “Lord YHWH, please forgive, How does Jacob arise—for he [is] small?”

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.”

3 YHWH has relented of this, “It will not be,” said YHWH.

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

4 Thus has Lord YHWH showed me, and behold, Lord YHWH is calling to contend by the fire, and it consumes the great deep, indeed, it has consumed the portion, and I say,

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.

5 “Lord YHWH, please cease, How does Jacob arise—for he [is] small?”

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

6 YHWH has relented of this, “It also will not be,” said Lord YHWH.

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

7 Thus has He showed me, and behold, the Lord is standing by a wall [made according to] a plumb-line, and in His hand a plumb-line;

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.

8 and YHWH says to me, “What are you seeing, Amos?” And I say, “A plumb-line”; and the Lord says: “Behold, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of My people Israel, I no longer pass over to it.

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.

9 And high places of Isaac have been desolated, And sanctuaries of Israel are dried up, And I have risen against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.”

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.”

10 And Amaziah priest of Beth-El sends to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words,

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!

11 for thus said Amos: Jeroboam dies by sword, And Israel certainly removes from off its land.”

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

12 And Amaziah says to Amos, “Seer, go, flee to the land of Judah for yourself, and eat bread there, and there you prophesy;

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

13 and no longer prophesy [at] Beth-El anymore, for it [is] the king’s sanctuary, and it [is] the royal house.”

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

14 And Amos answers and says to Amaziah, “I [am] no prophet, nor [am] I a prophet’s son, but I [am] a herdsman, and a cultivator of sycamores,

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.

15 and YHWH takes me from after the flock, and YHWH says to me, Go, prophesy to My people Israel.

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

16 And now, hear a word of YHWH: You are saying, Do not prophesy against Israel, nor drop [anything] against the house of Isaac,

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.”

17 therefore, thus said YHWH: Your wife goes whoring in the city, And your sons and your daughters fall by sword, And your land is apportioned by line, And you die on an unclean land, And Israel certainly removes from off its land.”

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.