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Amos, 7

1. This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was forming a locust swarm when the late growth began to come up (the late growth after the king's mowing).

1. This is what Lord Yahweh showed me: there was a swarm of locusts when the second crop was sprouting, full-grown locusts, after the king's hay had been cut.

2. While they were eating all the grass in the land, I said: Forgive, O Lord GOD! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!

2. When they had eaten all the grass in the land, I said, 'Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you. How can Jacob survive, being so small?'

3. And the LORD repented of this. "It shall not be," said the Lord GOD.

3. Then Yahweh relented; 'It will not happen,' said Yahweh.

4. Then the Lord GOD showed me this: he called for a judgment by fire. It had devoured the great abyss, and was consuming the land,

4. This is what Lord Yahweh showed me: Lord Yahweh summoning fire in punishment; it had devoured the great Abyss and was encroaching on the land,

5. when I said: Cease, O Lord GOD! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!

5. when I said, 'Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you. How can Jacob survive, being so small?'

6. The LORD repented of this. "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD.

6. Then Yahweh relented; 'This will not happen either,' said the Lord Yahweh.

7. Then the Lord GOD showed me this: he was standing by a wall, plummet in hand.

7. This is what he showed me: the Lord standing by a wall, with a plumb-line in his hand.

8. The LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" And when I answered, "A plummet," the Lord said: See, I will lay the plummet in the midst of my people Israel; I will forgive them no longer.

8. 'What do you see, Amos?' Yahweh asked me. 'A plumb-line,' I said. Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am going to put a plumb-line in among my people Israel; never again will I overlook their offences.

9. The high places of Isaac shall be laid waste, and the sanctuaries of Israel made desolate; I will attack the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

9. The high places of Isaac will be ruined and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste, and, sword in hand, I will attack the House of Jeroboam.'

10. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam, king of Israel: "Amos has conspired against you here within Israel; the country cannot endure all his words.

10. Amaziah the priest of Bethel then sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel as follows, 'Amos is plotting against you in the heart of the House of Israel; the country cannot tolerate his speeches.

11. For this is what Amos says: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land."

11. For this is what Amos says, "Jeroboam is going to die by the sword, and Israel will go into captivity far from its native land." '

12. To Amos, Amaziah said: "Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying,

12. To Amos himself Amaziah said, 'Go away, seer, take yourself off to Judah, earn your living there, and there you can prophesy!

13. but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."

13. But never again will you prophesy at Bethel, for this is a royal sanctuary, a national temple.'

14. Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.

14. 'I am not a prophet,' Amos replied to Amaziah, 'nor do I belong to a prophetic brotherhood. I am merely a herdsman and dresser of sycamore-figs.

15. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel.

15. But Yahweh took me as I followed the flock, and Yahweh said to me, "Go and prophesy to my people Israel."

16. Now hear the word of the LORD!" You say: prophesy not against Israel, preach not against the house of Isaac.

16. So now listen to what Yahweh says: "You say: Do not prophesy against Israel, do not foretell doom on the House of Isaac!"

17. Now thus says the LORD: Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; Israel shall be exiled far from its land.

17. Very well, this is what Yahweh says, "Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets, your sons and daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parcelled out by measuring line, and you yourself will die on polluted soil and Israel will go into captivity far from its own land!"'



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Footnotes:

7:1-3 - Amos sees a vision of God sending locusts to devour the land. This vision is a representation of impending judgment on Israel because of its corruption and sin. Amos's plea for God's mercy highlights intercession as a means of averting judgment (see also Jeremiah 18:7-8 and 1 Timothy 2:1).

7:4-6 - Amos has a second vision, this time of a great fire, symbolizing Israel's destruction. God's mercy manifests itself, delaying the punishment, but the message is clear: sin brings devastating consequences (see also Matthew 3:10-12 and Hebrews 12:29).

7:7-9 - God reveals the vision of the plumb line, indicating that Israel is being measured and found wanting. The plumb line is a tool for measuring righteousness, and this vision represents Israel's moral and spiritual failure (see also Isaiah 28:17 and Zechariah 2:1-2).

7:10-17 - The priest Amaziah opposes Amos, accusing him of being a subversive prophet. Amos, however, boldly declares the word of the Lord, revealing that Israel's destruction is inevitable, but that the judgment will be just (see also 2 Chronicles 18:12-22 and Acts 5:40-42).

Verses related to Amos, 7:

Amos chapter 7 reports visions of judgment and opposition to the prophet. How does God respond to intercession? This vivid text describes three visions of destruction, with Amos interceding for the first two. The chapter also narrates the confrontation between Amos and Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Amos 7 reveals the tension between divine judgment and mercy, and the cost of being faithful to God's message. Explore with us five biblical passages that illuminate the themes of prophecy and faithfulness expressed in this dramatic chapter.

Exodus 10:4-5: "If you refuse to let my people go, I will cause locusts to invade your territory tomorrow. They will cover the face of the earth, so that the ground cannot be seen. They will devour what remains, everything that escaped the hail, and they will eat all the trees that are growing in their fields." - This Exodus passage about the locust plague relates to Amos' vision of the locusts in Amos 7:1-3.

Jeremiah 1:11-12: "The word of the Lord came to me, asking, 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' 'I see an almond tree branch,' I replied. The Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching that my word may come true.'" - This passage from Jeremiah, like Amos 7, involves symbolic visions given by God to the prophet.

Zechariah 1:18-19: "Then I looked up and saw four horns. I asked the angel who spoke to me, 'What are these?' He answered me: 'They are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem'." - As in Amos 7, this passage from Zechariah involves symbolic visions given by God to the prophet.

2 Kings 14:23-24: "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Jehoash became king of Israel in Samaria, and reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had led Israel to commit." - This passage provides the historical context for Amos' ministry, mentioning King Jeroboam II, who is mentioned in Amos 7:10-11.

1 Kings 12:32: "He instituted a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day, similar to the festival celebrated in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. He did this at Bethel, sacrificing the calves he had made. He also appointed priests in Bethel for the altars on the mountains that he had built." - This passage describes the institution of idolatrous worship at Bethel, which is the target of Amos' prophecy in Amos 7:13.

FAQ:

What happens to Amos and the king of Israel in Amos 7?

In Amos 7, the priest Amaziah denounces Amos to King Jeroboam, asking him to flee. Amos responds with a prophetic vision and reaffirms his mission to prophesy divine judgment. (Amos 7:10-17)

What is the "basket of fruit" that Amos sees in his vision?

The vision of the "basket of fruit" in Amos 7 symbolizes the end of the people of Israel. Just as ripe fruit is ready for harvest, Israel is ready for God's judgment for its sin. (Amos 7:1-2)

What is the meaning of the vision of the wall and the plumb line in Amos 7?

The vision of the wall and the plumb line represents the measurement of God's judgment. The crooked wall indicates that Israel has gone astray, and God will bring destruction because the people have not straightened themselves. (Amos 7:7-9)

What does Amos prophesy about the fall of Israel in Amos 7?

Amos prophesies that Israel will be destroyed, with her sanctuaries laid desolate and her people taken into captivity, because of her apostasy and unrighteousness. (Amos 7:8-17)

How is God's mercy manifested in Amos' visions?

Although God is about to judge Israel, He also provides opportunities for repentance. Amos intercedes for the people, and God shows His patience and mercy. (Amos 7:3)


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