Amos sees visions of locusts and fire, and intercedes, and God relents. Then he sees a plumb line set in the midst of Israel. Amaziah the priest of Bethel tells Amos to go home, and Amos says he was no prophet but a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore figs, but God sent him.
1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers 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 it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land , then I said , O Lord GOD , forgive , I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise ? for he is small .
3 The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD .
4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire , and it devoured the great deep , and did eat up a part .
5 Then said I, O Lord GOD , cease , I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise ? for he is small .
6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD .
7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon 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 pass by 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 Bethel 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 their own 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 Bethel : for it is the king's chapel , and it is the king's court .
14 Then answered Amos , and said to Amaziah , I was no prophet , neither was I a prophet's son ; but I was an herdman , and a gatherer of sycomore fruit :
15 And the LORD took me as I followed 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 drop not thy word against the house of Isaac .
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Thy wife shall be an 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 shalt die in a polluted land : and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land .