Amos

Amos 7

The Locusts and the Fire

1 This is what the Lord showed me: A brood of locusts was coming early in the morning, and there was one crawling locust—King Gog.

2 When it finished devouring the grass of the land, I said, “Lord God, be merciful! Who will raise Jacob up? He is so small.”

3 “Change your mind, Lord, about this.”

“This will not happen,” says the Lord.

4 This is what the Lord showed me: The Lord called for judgment by fire. It consumed the great abyss and consumed the portion.

5 Then I said, “Lord God, please stop! Who will raise Jacob up? He is so small.”

6 “Change your mind, Lord, about this.”

“This too will certainly not happen,” says the Lord.

The Wall of Adamant

7 This is what the Lord showed me: A man stood on a wall of adamant, and adamant was in his hand.

8 The Lord asked me,

“What do you see, Amos?”

I said, “Adamant.”

Then the Lord said to me,

“Look, I am setting adamant in the midst of my people Israel. I will no longer pass them by.

9 The altars of laughter will disappear, and Israel’s rites will be devastated. I will rise against Jeroboam’s house with the sword.”

Amaziah Opposes Amos

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is forming conspiracies against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will be led captive away from its land.’” 12 Amaziah said to Amos, “Seer, go! Leave for the land of Judah. Make your living there and prophesy there. 13 But you must no longer prophesy at Bethel, because it is the king’s sanctuary and the royal house.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or a prophet’s son. I was a goatherd and one who scored sycamore figs. 15 The Lord took me from the sheep, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now hear the Lord’s word. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not stir up a crowd against the house of Jacob.’ 17 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city. Your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured with a line. You will die in an unclean land, and Israel will be led captive away from its land.’”