Amos 7

1Thus 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.

1The Sovereign Lord showed me a vision: He was preparing swarms of locusts just as the second crop was beginning to grow—the crop that comes up after the king’s share has been harvested.

2And 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.

2When the locusts had finished eating every green plant in the land, I cried out, 'Sovereign Lord, please forgive us! How can the people of Israel survive? They are so small and weak.'

3Jehovah repented concerning this: It shall not be, saith Jehovah.

3So the Lord changed his mind about this. 'It will not happen,' the Lord said.

4Thus 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 land.

4The Sovereign Lord showed me another vision: He was calling for a judgment by fire. It dried up the great deep ocean and began to consume the land.

5Then said I, O Lord Jehovah, cease, I beseech thee: how shall Jacob stand? for he is small.

5Then I said, 'Sovereign Lord, please stop! How can the people of Israel survive? They are so small and weak.'

6Jehovah repented concerning this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah.

6So the Lord changed his mind about this too. 'This will not happen either,' said the Sovereign Lord.

7Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.

7Then he showed me another vision: The Lord was standing beside a wall that had been built straight and true, using a plumb line. He had a plumb line in his hand.

8And 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;

8The Lord asked me, 'Amos, what do you see?' I answered, 'A plumb line.' Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am testing my people Israel with a plumb line to see if they are straight. I will no longer ignore their sins.'

9and 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.

9'The pagan shrines of Isaac’s descendants will be destroyed, and the religious centers of Israel will be ruined. I will attack the family of King Jeroboam with the sword.'

10Then 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.

10Then Amaziah, the priest at Bethel, sent a message to King Jeroboam of Israel: 'Amos is plotting against you right here in the heart of Israel. The country cannot tolerate his talk any longer.'

11For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.

11'Amos is saying that Jeroboam will be killed with a sword and that the people of Israel will certainly be taken away as captives to a foreign land.'

12Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

12Then Amaziah said to Amos, 'Get out of here, you prophet! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your living and do your prophesying there.'

13but prophesy not again any more at Beth-el; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house.

13'Don’t ever prophesy here at Bethel again. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national temple.'

14Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees:

14Amos answered Amaziah, 'I am not a professional prophet, and I wasn't trained to be one. I am just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees.'

15and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

15'But the Lord took me away from following the flock and said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel."'

16Now therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac;

16'So now, listen to the message from the Lord. You say, "Don’t prophesy against Israel, and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac."'

17therefore 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.

17'Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will be killed in war. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a foreign, pagan land. And the people of Israel will certainly be taken away as captives from their own country.'