1 T hus the Lord God showed me, and behold, He formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the second crop, and behold, it was the second crop after the king’s mowings.

This is what the Lord God showed me: He was making a gathering of locusts when the spring grain began to grow. The spring grain was after the king’s share had been cut.

2 A nd when had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I pray You. How can Jacob stand? For he is so small!

When they had finished eating the grass I said, “Lord God, forgive! O that Jacob may stay alive for he is so small!”

3 T he Lord relented and revoked this sentence: It shall not take place, said the Lord.

So the Lord changed His mind about this. “It will not be,” said the Lord. Special Dream about Fire

4 T hus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God called for punishment with fire, and it devoured the great deep and would have eaten up the land.

This is what the Lord God showed me: The Lord God was calling for a punishment by fire. It dried up the deep waters and began to destroy the farm land.

5 T hen said I, O Lord God, cease, I pray You! How can Jacob stand? He is so little!

Then I said, “Lord God, I beg You to stop! How can Jacob stay alive, for he is so small?”

6 T he Lord relented and revoked this sentence: This also shall not be, said the Lord.

So the Lord changed His mind about this. “This also will not be,” said the Lord God. Special Dream about a String

7 T hus He showed me, and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.

This is what He showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall made straight by a string held in His hand.

8 A nd the Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I am setting a plumb line as a standard in the midst of My people Israel. I will not pass by and spare them any more.

The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A string.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am about to put a straight string among my people Israel. I will not change My mind again about punishing them.

9 A nd the high places of Isaac (Israel) shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise with the sword against the house of King Jeroboam.

The high places of Isaac will be destroyed. The holy places of Israel will be laid waste. Then I will rise up against the people of Jeroboam with the sword.” Amos and Amaziah

10 T hen Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.

Then Amaziah, the religious leader of Bethel, sent word to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has made plans against you among the people of Israel. His words will destroy the land.

11 F or thus Amos has said, Jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.

For this is what Amos is saying: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and the people of Israel will be taken away from their own land to a strange land.’”

12 A lso Amaziah said to Amos, O you seer, go! Flee back to the land of Judah, and eat your bread and live out your profession as a prophet there.

Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you who tell what is going to happen in the future! Run away to the land of Judah! There eat your bread, and there speak your words!

13 B ut do not prophesy any more at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a seat of his kingdom.

But never speak about your special dreams again at Bethel. For it is a holy place of the king, a place where the nation worships.”

14 T hen Amos said to Amaziah, I was no prophet! Neither was I a prophet’s son; I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees and a gatherer of sycamore figs.

Amos answered Amaziah, saying, “I am not a man who tells what is going to happen in the future, or the son of such a man. I take care of sheep and cattle, and grow fig trees.

15 A nd the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to My people Israel.

But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go and speak in My name to My people Israel.’

16 N ow therefore listen to the word of the Lord: You say, Do not prophesy against Israel and drop no statements not complimentary to the house of Isaac.

So now hear the Word of the Lord. You are saying, ‘Do not speak against Israel or preach against the people of Isaac.’

17 T herefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall be a harlot in the city and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean and defiled land, and Israel shall surely go forth out of his land into exile.

So this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will sell the use of her body in the city. Your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword. Your land will be divided and given to others. You yourself will die in an unclean land. And Israel will be driven away from this land to a strange country.’”