Amos 7
Amplified Bible
Warning Through Visions
7 Thus the Lord God showed me [a vision], and behold, He was forming a swarm of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. 2 And when the locusts had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said,
“O Lord God, please forgive!
How can Jacob stand,
For he is so small [that he cannot endure this]?”
3
The Lord revoked this sentence.
“It shall not take place,” said the Lord.
4 Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God called for punishment with fire, and it devoured the great deep [underground sources of water] and began to consume the land. 5 Then I said,
“O Lord God, please stop!
How can Jacob stand,
For he is so small [that he cannot endure this]?”
6
The Lord revoked this sentence.
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
7 Thus He showed me [a vision], and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand [to determine if the wall was straight or if it needed to be destroyed].(A) 8 The Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line [as a standard]
Among My people Israel [showing the defectiveness of the nation, requiring judgment].
I shall not spare them any longer. [The door of mercy is shut.]
9
“And the [idolatrous] high places of Isaac (Israel) will be devastated and deserted,
And the sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I shall rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword [and destroy the monarchy].”
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.(B) 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.”(C)
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.’”
Amos 7
English Standard Version
Warning Visions
7 (A)This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, (B)he was forming locusts when the latter growth was just beginning to sprout, and behold, it was the latter growth after the king's mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,
“O Lord God, please forgive!
(C)How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
3 (D)The Lord relented concerning this:
“It shall not be,” said the Lord.
4 (E)This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, the Lord God was calling (F)for a judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and was eating up the land. 5 Then I said,
“O Lord God, please cease!
(G)How can Jacob stand?
He is so small!”
6 (H)The Lord relented concerning this:
“This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.
7 (I)This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with (J)a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, (K)“Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,
“Behold, I am setting (L)a plumb line
in the midst of my people Israel;
(M)I will never again pass by them;
9 (N)the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against (O)the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos Accused
10 Then Amaziah (P)the priest of Bethel sent to (Q)Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has (R)conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and (S)Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, (T)“O seer, go, flee away (U)to the land of Judah, and (V)eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but (W)never again prophesy at Bethel, for (X)it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, (Y)“I was[a] no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but (Z)I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 (AA)But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 (AB)Now therefore hear the word of the Lord.
“You say, (AC)‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and (AD)do not preach against the house of (AE)Isaac.’
17 (AF)Therefore thus says the Lord:
“‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword,
and your land (AG)shall be divided up with a measuring line;
you yourself shall die in an unclean land,
and (AH)Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”
Footnotes
- Amos 7:14 Or am; twice in this verse
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
