Amos 7:1-9

New International Reader's Version

Amos Has Visions of Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line

7 The Lord and King gave me a vision. He was bringing large numbers of locusts on the land. The king’s share had already been harvested. Now the later crops were coming up. ² The locusts stripped the land clean. Then I cried out, “Lord and King, forgive Israel! How can Jacob’s people continue? They are such a weak nation!”

³ So the Lord had pity on them.

“I will let them continue for now,” he said.

⁴ The Lord and King gave me a second vision. He was using fire to punish his people. It dried up the deep waters. It burned the land up. ⁵ Then I cried out, “Lord and King, please stop! How can Jacob’s people continue? They are such a weak nation!”

⁶ So the Lord had pity on them.

“I will let them continue for now,” the Lord and King said.

⁷ Then the Lord gave me a third vision. He was standing by a wall. It had been built very straight, all the way up and down. He was holding a plumb line. ⁸ The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”

“A plumb line,” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look at what I am doing. I am hanging a plumb line next to my people Israel. It will show how crooked they are. I will no longer spare them.