Amos 7
1599 Geneva Bible
7 God showeth certain visions, whereby he signifieth the destruction of the people of Israel. 10 The false accusation of Amaziah, 12 His crafty counsel.
1 Thus hath the Lord God showed unto me, and behold, he formed [a]grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth: and lo, it was in the latter growth [b]after the King’s mowing.
2 And when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord God, spare, I beseech thee: who shall raise up Jacob? for he is small.
3 So the Lord [c]repented for this. It shall not be, saith the Lord.
4 ¶ Thus also hath the Lord God showed unto me, and behold, the Lord God called to judgment by fire, [d]and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.
5 Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: who shall raise up Jacob? for he is small.
6 So the Lord repented for this. This also shall not be, saith the Lord God.
7 ¶ Thus again he showed me, and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by line [e]with a line in his hand.
8 And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a line in the midst of my people Israel, and will pass by them no more.
9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the temples of Israel shall be destroyed: and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 ¶ [f]Then Amaziah the Priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall be led away captive out of their own land.
12 Also [g]Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou the Seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat thy bread, and prophesy there.
13 But prophesy no more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no [h]Prophet, neither was I a Prophet’s son, but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of wild figs.
15 And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go prophesy unto my people Israel.
16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord. Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and speak nothing against the house of Isaac.
17 Therefore thus saith the Lord, [i]Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line: and thou shalt die in a polluted land, and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.
Footnotes
- Amos 7:1 To devour the land: and he alludeth to the invading of the enemies.
- Amos 7:1 After the public commandment for mowing was given: or as some read, when the king’s sheep were shorn.
- Amos 7:3 That is, stayed this plague at my prayer.
- Amos 7:4 Meaning, that God’s indignation was inflamed against the stubbornness of this people.
- Amos 7:7 Signifying that this should be the last measuring of the people, and that he would defer his judgment no longer.
- Amos 7:10 That is, when Amos had prophesied that the king should be destroyed: for the wicked Priest more for hatred he bare to the Prophet than for love toward the king, thought this accusation sufficient to condemn him, whereas none other could take place.
- Amos 7:12 When this instrument of Satan was not able to compass his purpose by the king, he assayed by another practice, that was, to fear the Prophet, that he might depart, and not reprove their idolatry there openly, and so hinder his profit.
- Amos 7:14 Thus he showeth by his extraordinary vocation, that God had given him a charge, which he must needs execute.
- Amos 7:17 Thus God used to approve the authority of his Prophets, by his plagues and judgments against them which were malicious enemies, Jer. 28:12 and 29:21, 25, as this day he doeth against them that persecute the ministers of his Gospel.
Amos 7
New King James Version
Vision of the Locusts
7 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the [a]beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:
“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
(A)Oh,[b] that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3 So (B)the Lord relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
Vision of the Fire
4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called [c]for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the [d]territory. 5 Then I said:
“O Lord God, cease, I pray!
(C)Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
6 So the Lord relented concerning this.
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
Vision of the Plumb Line
7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
And I said, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said:
“Behold, (D)I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
(E)I will not pass by them anymore.
9 (F)The [e]high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the [f]sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
(G)I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.”
Amaziah’s Complaint
10 Then Amaziah the (H)priest of (I)Bethel sent to (J)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to [g]bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said:
‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
And Israel shall surely be led away (K)captive
From their own land.’ ”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos:
“Go, you seer!
Flee to the land of Judah.
There eat bread,
And there prophesy.
13 But (L)never again prophesy at Bethel,
(M)For it is the king’s [h]sanctuary,
And it is the royal [i]residence.”
14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:
“I was no prophet,
Nor was I (N)a son of a prophet,
But I was a (O)sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me [j]as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, (P)prophesy to My people Israel.’
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And (Q)do not [k]spout against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore(R) thus says the Lord:
Amos 7
English Standard Version
Warning Visions
7 (A)This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, (B)he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,
“O Lord God, please forgive!
(C)How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
3 (D)The Lord relented concerning this:
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
4 (E)This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling (F)for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5 Then I said,
“O Lord God, please cease!
(G)How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
6 (H)The Lord relented concerning this:
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
7 (I)This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with (J)a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, (K)“Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting (L)a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
(M)I will never again pass by them;
9 (N)the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against (O)the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
10 Then Amaziah (P)the priest of Bethel sent to (Q)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (R)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and (S)Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, (T)“O seer, go, flee away (U)to the land of Judah, and (V)eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but (W)never again prophesy at Bethel, for (X)it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, (Y)“I was[a] no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but (Z)I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 (AA)But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 (AB)Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.
“You say, (AC)‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and (AD)do not preach against the house of (AE)Isaac.’
17 (AF)Therefore thus says the Lord:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land (AG)shall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and (AH)Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”
Footnotes
- Amos 7:14 Or am; twice in this verse
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
