Amos, Chapter 7

1. Thus the Lord GOD 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 if it had come to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land - so I said: O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech Thee; how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.    3. The LORD repented concerning this; 'It shall not be', saith the LORD.    4. Thus the Lord GOD showed me; and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire; and it devoured the great deep, and would have eaten up the land.    5. Then said I: O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech Thee; how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.    6. The LORD repented concerning this; 'This also shall not be', saith the Lord GOD.    7. Thus He showed me; and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in His hand.    8. And the LORD said unto me: 'Amos, what seest thou?' And I said: 'A plumbline.' Then said the Lord: Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of My people Israel; I will not again pardon 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 thee 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 was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdman, and a dresser of sycamore-trees;    15. and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said unto me: Go, prophesy unto My people Israel.    16. Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest: Prophesy not against Israel, and preach not against the house of Isaac;    17. Therefore thus saith the LORD: 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 an unclean land, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.'