7:1 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.) 7:2 When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,
“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”
7:3 The Lord decided not to do this. “It will not happen,” the Lord said.
7:4 The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields. 7:5 I said,
“Sovereign Lord, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is too weak!”
7:6 The Lord decided not to do this. The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”
7:7 He showed me this: I saw the Sovereign One standing by a tin wall holding tin in his hand. 7:8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Tin.” The Sovereign One then said,
“Look, I am about to place tin among my people Israel. I will no longer overlook their sin. 7:9 Isaac’s worship centers will become desolate; Israel’s holy places will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.”
7:10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent this message to King Jeroboam of Israel: “Amos is conspiring against you in the very heart of the kingdom of Israel! The land cannot endure all his prophecies. 7:11 As a matter of fact, Amos is saying this: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’”
7:12 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah! Earn money and prophesy there! 7:13 Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!”
7:14 Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees. 7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’ 7:16 So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’
7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:
‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets and your sons and daughters will die violently. Your land will be given to others and you will die in a foreign land. Israel will certainly be carried into exile away from its land.’”