Amos 7
American Standard Version
7 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. 2 And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord Jehovah, forgive, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. 3 Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah.
4 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me: and, behold, the Lord Jehovah called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the [a]land. 5 Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small. 6 Jehovah repented concerning this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah.
7 Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood [b]beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. 8 And Jehovah said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more; 9 and the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land. 12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 13 but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house.
14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [c]was no prophet, neither [d]was I [e]a prophet’s son; but I [f]was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees: 15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. 16 Now therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac; 17 therefore thus saith Jehovah: Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou thyself shalt die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.
Amos 7
Expanded Bible
The Vision of Locusts
7 This is what the Lord God showed me: He was forming a swarm of locusts, after the ·king had taken his share of the first crop [L king’s harvest/mowing] and the ·second [L late] crop had just begun growing [C the second of two agricultural seasons; vegetables planted to coincide with the spring rains]. 2 When the locusts ate all the ·crops [vegetation; grass] in the country, I said, “Lord God, forgive us. How could ·Israel [L Jacob] ·live through this [L stand]? It is too small already!”
3 So the Lord ·changed his mind about this [relented]. “It will not happen,” said the Lord.
The Vision of Fire
4 This is what the Lord God showed me: [L Look; T Behold] The Lord God was calling for ·fire to come down like rain [or a judgment of fire]. It burned up the ·deep water [great deep; deep abyss] and ·was going to burn up [L consumed; devoured] the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Lord God, stop! How could ·Israel [L Jacob] ·live through this [L stand]? It is too small already.”
6 So the Lord ·changed his mind about this [relented]. “It will not happen,” said the Lord God.
The Vision of the Plumb Line
7 This is what he showed me: The Lord stood by a ·straight wall [L wall built with a plumb line], with a plumb line in his hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
I said, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said, “·See [T Behold], I will put a plumb line among my people Israel [C to show how crooked they are]. I will not ·look the other way [spare them; L pass by them] any longer.
9 “·The places where Isaac’s descendants worship [L The high places of Isaac; C places of pagan worship] will be destroyed,
Israel’s ·holy places [sanctuaries] will be turned into ruins,
and I will ·attack [L rise up against] King Jeroboam’s ·family [house] with the sword.”
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].’”
Amos 7
New King James Version
Vision of the Locusts
7 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the [a]beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:
“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!
(A)Oh,[b] that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
3 So (B)the Lord relented concerning this.
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
Vision of the Fire
4 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, the Lord God called [c]for conflict by fire, and it consumed the great deep and devoured the [d]territory. 5 Then I said:
“O Lord God, cease, I pray!
(C)Oh, that Jacob may stand,
For he is small!”
6 So the Lord relented concerning this.
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
Vision of the Plumb Line
7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”
And I said, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said:
“Behold, (D)I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
(E)I will not pass by them anymore.
9 (F)The [e]high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the [f]sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
(G)I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.”
Amaziah’s Complaint
10 Then Amaziah the (H)priest of (I)Bethel sent to (J)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to [g]bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said:
‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
And Israel shall surely be led away (K)captive
From their own land.’ ”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos:
“Go, you seer!
Flee to the land of Judah.
There eat bread,
And there prophesy.
13 But (L)never again prophesy at Bethel,
(M)For it is the king’s [h]sanctuary,
And it is the royal [i]residence.”
14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah:
“I was no prophet,
Nor was I (N)a son of a prophet,
But I was a (O)sheepbreeder
And a tender of sycamore fruit.
15 Then the Lord took me [j]as I followed the flock,
And the Lord said to me,
‘Go, (P)prophesy to My people Israel.’
16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:
You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
And (Q)do not [k]spout against the house of Isaac.’
17 “Therefore(R) thus says the Lord:
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The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
