Amos 7

1 The Lord Jehovah showed me this vision: Behold, he formed locusts In the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; Behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowing.

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 when they had devoured the grass of the land, Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee! How shall Jacob stand? 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 Jehovah repented of this; It shall not be, said Jehovah.

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

4 The Lord Jehovah also showed me this vision: Behold, the Lord Jehovah commanded the fire to execute judgment; And it devoured the great deep, And it devoured the fields.

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 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, desist, I beseech thee! How shall Jacob stand? For he is small!

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

6 Jehovah repented of this; This also shall not be, said the Lord Jehovah.

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

7 He also showed me this vision: Behold, the Lord stood upon a wall, built with a plumb-line, And in his hand was 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 Jehovah said to me, What seest thou, Amos? 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 spare them any more.

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 The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, And I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the 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 Then sent Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, To Jeroboam, the king of Israel, and said: Amos conspireth against thee 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 hath Amos said: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led captive from their own 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 said to Amos, Go, thou seer! flee into the land of Judah! There eat thy bread, and there prophesy!

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

13 But prophesy no more at Bethel, For it is the king's sanctuary, And it is the king's abode.

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

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah: I was no prophet, nor the son of a prophet; I was a shepherd, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit.

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 Jehovah took me from the flock; And Jehovah said 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 Now, therefore, hear the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, And speak no word 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 saith Jehovah: “Thy wife shall be put to shame in the city, And thy sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Thy land shall be divided by the line, And thou shalt die in a polluted land, And Israel shall surely be led captive from his own 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.