Warning through Visions

This is what the Lord [a]God showed me, and behold, He was forming a (A)swarm of locusts [b]when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. And it came about, [c]when it had (B)finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said,

(C)Lord God, please pardon!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is (D)small.”
The Lord (E)relented of this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.

So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by (F)fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the [d]farmland. Then I said,

(G)Lord God, please stop!
(H)How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
The Lord (I)relented of this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing [e]by a [f]vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord 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 not [g](L)spare them any longer.
The (M)high places of Isaac will become deserted,
And the (N)sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I will (O)rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Amos Accused; Gives an Answer

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 this is what 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 to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! 13 But (T)do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a (U)sanctuary of the king and a royal [h]residence.”

14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the (V)son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a [i]grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from [j]following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go (W)prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You (X)shall not prophesy against Israel (Y)nor shall you [k]prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your (Z)wife will become a prostitute in the city, your (AA)sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die [l]upon (AB)unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Amos 7:1 Lit at the beginning of the coming up of
  3. Amos 7:2 Lit if
  4. Amos 7:4 Lit plot of land
  5. Amos 7:7 Or on
  6. Amos 7:7 Lit wall of a plumb line
  7. Amos 7:8 Lit pass him by
  8. Amos 7:13 Lit house
  9. Amos 7:14 Or picker
  10. Amos 7:15 Lit behind
  11. Amos 7:16 Lit drivel
  12. Amos 7:17 Or in an unclean land

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