First Vision: Locusts
1The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts Ex 10:12-15; Dt 28:38,42; Jl 1:4 at the time the spring crop first began to sprout — after the cutting of the king’s hay.
2When the locusts finished eating the vegetation of the land, Ex 10:15 I said, “Lord God, please forgive! Jr 14:7,20-21; Ezk 9:8; 11:13 How will Jacob survive since he is so small? ” Is 37:4; Jr 42:2
Second Vision: Fire
4The Lord God showed me this: The Lord God was calling for a judgment by fire. Am 1:3–2:5 It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.
5Then I said, “Lord God, please stop! Ps 85:4; Jl 2:17 How will Jacob survive since he is so small? ”
6The Lord relented concerning this. Ps 106:45; Jnh 3:10 “This will not happen either,” said the Lord God.
Third Vision: A Plumb Line
7He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand.
I replied, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; Is 28:17; 34:11; Lm 2:8 I will no longer spare them: Am 8:2
9Isaac’s high places 2Kg 17:9-13; Hs 10:8 will be deserted,
and Israel’s sanctuaries will be in ruins; Lv 26:31; Is 63:18; Jr 51:51
I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam
with a sword.”
Amaziah’s Opposition
10Amaziah the priest 1Kg 12:31-32; 13:33 of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you Jr 26:8-11; 38:4 right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words,
11for Amos has said this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile from its homeland.’ ” Am 5:27
12Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Mt 8:34 Flee to the land of Judah. Earn your living Lit Eat bread and give your prophecies there,
13but don’t ever prophesy Am 2:12; Ac 4:18 at Bethel again, for it is the king’s sanctuary 1Kg 12:29; Am 7:9 and a royal temple.”
14So 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 2Kg 2:3; 4:38; 2Ch 19:2 rather, I was Or am a herdsman, Am 1:1 and I took care of sycamore figs.
15But the Lord took me from following the flock 2Sm 7:8 and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ ” Jr 1:7; Ezk 2:3-4
16Now hear the word of the Lord. You say:
Do not prophesy Am 2:12 against Israel;
do not preach Mc 2:6 against the house of Isaac.
17Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, Hs 4:13-14
your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, Jr 14:16
and your land will be divided up
with a measuring line.
You yourself will die on pagan Lit unclean soil, 2Kg 17:6; Ezk 4:13; Hs 9:3
and Israel will certainly go into exile Jr 36:29-31
from its homeland.
Holman Christian Standard Bible®
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by Holman Bible Publishers
