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Amaziah Speaks Against Amos

10 Amaziah, a priest at Bethel [4:4], sent this message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is ·making evil plans [conspiring] against you ·with the people of Israel [or in the very heart of Israel; L in the midst of the house of Israel]. ·He has been speaking so much that this land can’t hold all [L This land cannot bear/endure] his words. 11 This is what Amos has said:

‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and the people of Israel will be taken ·as captives [into exile]
out of their own country.’”

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer [C another name for a prophet], go back right now to the land of Judah. Do your prophesying and ·earn your living [L eat bread] there, 13 but don’t prophesy anymore here at Bethel. This is the king’s ·holy place [sanctuary], and it is the ·nation’s temple [or royal palace; L house of the kingdom].”

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, “·I do not make my living as a prophet, nor am I a member of a group of prophets [L I was not a prophet nor a prophet’s son/disciple]. I ·make my living as [L was] a shepherd, and ·I take care [a tender] of ·sycamore [or sycamore-fig] trees. 15 But the Lord took me away from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 So listen to the Lord’s word. You tell me,

‘Don’t prophesy against Israel,
    and stop ·prophesying [preaching; spouting off; L dripping] against the ·descendants [house] of Isaac.’

17 “Because you have said this, the Lord says:

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will ·be killed with swords [L fall by the sword].
Your land will be divided ·among themselves [L with a measuring line],
    and you will die in a ·foreign [L unclean; defiled] country.
The people of Israel will definitely be taken
    from their own land ·as captives [into exile].’”

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Amos Accused, Answers

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel [site of the golden calf shrine], sent word to [a]Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words.(A) 11 For in this way Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, run for your life [from Israel] to the land of Judah [your own country] and eat bread and live as a prophet there! 13 But do not prophesy any longer at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal residence.”(B)

14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet [by profession], nor am I a prophet’s son; I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore, listen to the word of the Lord: You say, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord, ‘Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city [when the [b]Assyrians capture Samaria] and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean and defiled [pagan] land, and Israel shall certainly go from its land into exile.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 7:10 Jeroboam II ruled Israel from 793-753 b.c.
  2. Amos 7:17 Assyria invaded Israel during the reign of Hoshea (2 Kin 17:5, 6).