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10 Then Amaziah, the priest at the royal shrine in Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam, king of Israel.

Amaziah’s Message: Amos is plotting conspiracy against you in the very heart of the land of Israel. You must act. The land cannot bear any more of his speeches. 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

Amos: Jeroboam is going to die by the sword,
        and the people of Israel will be captured and led away into exile far from home.

Amaziah’s Message: 12 I told Amos, “Listen, seer—run for the land of Judah; earn your living and spread your prophesies there, 13 but don’t ever show your face and try to prophesy at Bethel again because it is the king’s sanctuary and a temple for this kingdom.”

14 But Amos persisted.

Amos: I am not a professional prophet, or even the son of one. You shouldn’t be afraid of me; I am just a man who followed my herds and gathered the fruit from the sycamores 15 until the Eternal spoke to me, as I was minding my flock.

Eternal One: Go and speak My words to the people of Israel!

16 So now listen to what the Eternal has to say, you who say,
    “Don’t prophesy against Israel,
Or predict the downfall of Isaac’s descendants.”
17 The Eternal One says this:

Eternal One: Your wife will be reduced to selling herself in the streets,
        your sons and daughters will die by the sword,
        your land will be measured out to others,
    You yourself will end your days in an impure land,
        and Israel will be sent into exile far from home.

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Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel(A) sent a message to Jeroboam(B) king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy(C) against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.(D) 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and Israel will surely go into exile,(E)
    away from their native land.’”(F)

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer!(G) Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.(H) 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel,(I) because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple(J) of the kingdom.(K)

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet(L) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.(M) 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock(N) and said to me, ‘Go,(O) prophesy(P) to my people Israel.’(Q) 16 Now then, hear(R) the word of the Lord. You say,

“‘Do not prophesy against(S) Israel,
    and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute(T) in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a pagan[a] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,(U)
    away from their native land.(V)’”

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:17 Hebrew an unclean