Amo 7 | HCSB | STEP | The Lord God showed me this : He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout

‏ Amos 7

First Vision: Locusts

1 The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts ^a at the time the spring crop first began to sprout – after the cutting of the king’s hay. 2 When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, ^b I said, “Lord God, please forgive! ^c How will Jacob survive since he is so small?” ^d

3 The Lord relented concerning this. ^e “It will not happen,” He said.

Second Vision: Fire

4 The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. ^f It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I said, “Lord God, please stop! ^g How will Jacob survive since he is so small?”

6 The Lord relented concerning this. ^h “This will not happen either,” said the Lord God.

Third Vision: A Plumb Line

7 He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 The Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” ⁱI replied, “A plumb line.”Then the Lord said, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; ^j I will no longer spare them: ^k

9 Isaac’s ^{▼▼high place(s): An ancient place of worship most often associated with pagan religions, usually built on an elevated location}high places ^m will be deserted,
and Israel’s sanctuaries will be in ruins; ⁿ
I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam
with a sword.”

Amaziah’s Opposition

10 Amaziah the priest ^o of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you ^p right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words, 11 for Amos has said this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.’” ^q

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! ^r Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living ^{▼▼Lit Eat bread} and give your prophecies there, 13 but don’t ever prophesy ^t at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary ^u and a royal temple.”

14 So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was ^{▼▼Or am} not a prophet or the son of a prophet; ^{▼▼= a prophet’s disciple or a member of a prophetic guild
,} ^x rather, I was ^{▼▼Or am} a herdsman, ^z and I took care of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock ^aa and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’” ^ab

16 Now hear the word of the Lord. You say:

Do not prophesy ^ac against Israel;
do not preach ^ad against the house of Isaac.

17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, ^ae
your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, ^af
and your land will be divided up
with a measuring line.
You yourself will die on pagan ^{▼▼Lit unclean} soil, ^ah
and Israel will certainly go into exile ^ai
from its homeland.