7 Here is what Adonai Elohim showed me: he was forming a swarm of locusts as the late crop was starting to come up, the late crop after the hay had been cut to pay the king’s tribute. ² While they were finishing up eating all the vegetation in the land, I said,

³ So Adonai changed his mind about this. “It won’t happen,” Adonai said.

⁴ Next Adonai Elohim showed me this: Adonai Elohim was summoning a blazing fire to consume the great abyss, and it would have devoured the land too. ⁵ But I said,

⁶ Adonai changed his mind about it. “This too won’t happen,” said Adonai Elohim.

⁷ Then he showed me this: Adonai was standing by a wall made with a plumbline, and he had a plumbline in his hand. ⁸ Adonai asked me, “‘Amos, what do you see?” I answered, “A plumbline.” Then Adonai said,

¹⁰ Then Amatzyah the priest of Beit-El sent this message to Yarov‘am king of Isra’el, “‘Amos is conspiring against you there among the people of Isra’el, and the land can’t bear all that he’s saying. ¹¹ For ‘Amos says: ‘Yarov‘am will die by the sword, and Isra’el will be led away from their land into exile.’” ¹² Amatzyah also said to ‘Amos, “Go away, seer! Go back to the land of Y’hudah! Earn your living there; and prophesy there; ¹³ but don’t prophesy any more at Beit-El; for this is the king’s sanctuary, a royal temple.”

¹⁴ ‘Amos gave this answer to Amatzyah: “I am not trained as a prophet, and I’m not one of the guild prophets — I own sheep and grow figs. ¹⁵ But Adonai took me away from following the flock, and Adonai said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Isra’el.’ ¹⁶ So now, hear what Adonai says: ‘You say, “Don’t prophesy against Isra’el, don’t lecture the people of Yitz’chak.”’ ¹⁷ Therefore Adonai says this: