Amos 7

1 Here, My Lord, Yahweh gave me to see, and lo! he was preparing the locust, in the beginning of the shooting up of the after-grass, —and lo! after-grass, cometh after the mowings for the king.

Thus the Lord GOD showed me: 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 harvest.

2 And it came to pass, when they had made an end of eating the herbage of the land, that I said—Oh, My Lord, Yahweh, forgive, I beseech thee: By whom shall Jacob, arise? for, small, he is.

When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord GOD, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

3 Grieved was Yahweh, over this, —It shall not be, said Yahweh?

The LORD relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says the LORD.

4 Here, My Lord, Yahweh gave me to see, and lo! My Lord Yahweh proclaiming that, the controversy should be settled by fire, —which, having devoured the mighty roaring deep, should devour the inheritance.

Thus the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD called for judgement by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land.

5 Then said I, My Lord, Yahweh, forbear, I beseech thee, By whom shall Jacob, arise? for, small, he is.

Then I said, “Lord GOD, stop, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

6 Grieved was Yahweh, over this, —Even this, shall not be, said My Lord, Yahweh.

The LORD relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord GOD.

7 Here, he gave me to see, and lo! My Lord, stationed upon a pinnacle, —and, in his hand a plummet.

Thus he showed me: behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

8 And Yahweh said unto me, What canst thou see, Amos? And I said, A plummet, —Then said My Lord, Behold me! fixing a plummet in the midst of my people Israel, I will not again any more forgive him.

The LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more.

9 So shall the high places of Isaac, be made desolate, and, the holy places of Israel, be laid waste, —and I will rise up, against the house of Jeroboam, with the sword.

The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

10 Then sent Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, unto Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: A conspiracy hath Amos, raised against thee, in the midst of the house of Israel, The land, is not able to endure, all his words;

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For, thus, saith Amos, By the sword, shall Jeroboam, die, —and, Israel, shall, surely be exiled, from off his own soil.

For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”

12 Then said Amaziah unto Amos, O seer, go flee thee away unto the land of Judah—and eat, there, bread, and, there, mayest thou prophesy;

Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there,

13 But, at Bethel, not again, any more, mayest thou prophesy, —for, the holy place of the king, it is, and, the house of the kingdom, it is.

but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!”

14 Then answered Amos, and said unto Amaziah, No prophet, was I, —nor the son of a prophet, was I, —but, a herdman, was I, and a preparer of sycamore fruit;

Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs;

15 But Yahweh, took me away, from following the flock, —and Yahweh, said unto me, Go prophesy against my people Israel.

and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

16 Now, therefore, hear thou the word of Yahweh, —Thou art saying, Thou must not prophesy concerning Israel, nor let thy word drop down upon the house of Isaac.

Now therefore listen to the LORD’s word: ‘You say, Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’

17 Therefore—Thus, saith Yahweh, Thy wife, in the city, will commit unchastity, and, thy sons and thy daughters, by the sword, shall fall, and, thine own soil, by line, shall he apportioned, —and, thou, on a polluted soil, shalt die, and, Israel, shall, surely go into exile, away from his own soil.

Therefore the LORD says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”