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Yahweh Will Rise Up Against Israel

Thus Lord Yahweh showed me, and behold, He was forming a (A)locust-swarm [a]when the spring crop began to come up. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s [b]mowing. And it happened [c]when it had (B)completed eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,

(C)Lord Yahweh, please pardon!
[d]How can Jacob rise up,
For he is (D)small?”
Yahweh [e](E)relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said Yahweh.

Thus Lord Yahweh showed me, and behold, Lord Yahweh was calling to contend with them by (F)fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the [f]farm land. Then I said,

(G)Lord Yahweh, please stop!
[g](H)How can Jacob rise up, for he is small?”
Yahweh [h](I)relented concerning this.
“This too shall not be,” said Lord Yahweh.

Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [i]by a wall made with a [j]plumb line, and in His hand was a [k]plumb line. And Yahweh said to me, “(J)What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“Behold, I am about to put a (K)plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will (L)pass over them no longer.
The (M)high places of Isaac will be desolated
And the (N)sanctuaries of Israel laid waste.
Then I will (O)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos Accused

10 Then Amaziah, the (P)priest of Bethel, sent word to (Q)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (R)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For thus Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “(S)Go, you seer, flee away to the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and there do your prophesying! 13 But (T)no longer prophesy at Bethel, for it is a (U)sanctuary of the king and a royal house.”

14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the (V)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a [l]grower of sycamore figs. 15 But Yahweh took me from [m]following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, ‘Go (W)prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 So now, hear the word of Yahweh: you are saying, ‘You (X)shall not prophesy against Israel, (Y)nor shall you drip out words against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, thus says Yahweh, ‘Your (Z)wife will play the harlot in the city, your (AA)sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be divided up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die [n]upon (AB)unclean land. Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:1 Lit at the beginning of the coming up of
  2. Amos 7:1 Or shearings
  3. Amos 7:2 Lit if
  4. Amos 7:2 Lit As who
  5. Amos 7:3 Or regretted
  6. Amos 7:4 Lit portion
  7. Amos 7:5 Lit Who
  8. Amos 7:6 Or regretted, cf. 1 Sam 15:11, 29, 35
  9. Amos 7:7 Or upon
  10. Amos 7:7 Lit tin; presumably the weight of a plumb line
  11. Amos 7:7 Lit tin; presumably the weight of a plumb line
  12. Amos 7:14 Or nipper
  13. Amos 7:15 Lit behind
  14. Amos 7:17 Or in an unclean land

First Vision: Locusts

The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts(A) at the time the spring crop first began to sprout—after the cutting of the king’s hay. When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land,(B) I said, “Lord God, please forgive!(C) How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”(D)

The Lord relented concerning this.(E) “It will not happen,” He said.

Second Vision: Fire

The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire.(F) It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. Then I said, “Lord God, please stop!(G) How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”

The Lord relented concerning this.(H) “This will not happen either,” said the Lord God.

Third Vision: A Plumb Line

He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”(I)

I replied, “A plumb line.”

Then the Lord said, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel;(J) I will no longer spare them:(K)

Isaac’s high places(L) will be deserted,
and Israel’s sanctuaries will be in ruins;(M)
I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam
with a sword.”

Amaziah’s Opposition

10 Amaziah the priest(N) of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you(O) right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words, 11 for Amos has said this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.’”(P)

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer!(Q) Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living[a] and give your prophecies there, 13 but don’t ever prophesy(R) at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary(S) and a royal temple.”

14 So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was[b] not a prophet or the son of a prophet;[c](T) rather, I was[d] a herdsman,(U) and I took care of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock(V) and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’”(W)

16 Now hear the word of the Lord. You say:

Do not prophesy(X) against Israel;
do not preach(Y) against the house of Isaac.

17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

Your wife will be a prostitute in the city,(Z)
your sons and daughters will fall by the sword,(AA)
and your land will be divided up
with a measuring line.
You yourself will die on pagan[e] soil,(AB)
and Israel will certainly go into exile(AC)
from its homeland.

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:12 Lit Eat bread
  2. Amos 7:14 Or am
  3. Amos 7:14 = a prophet’s disciple or a member of a prophetic guild
  4. Amos 7:14 Or am
  5. Amos 7:17 Lit unclean