Symbolic Visions of Judgment

1The 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.) 2When they had completely consumed the earth’s vegetation, I said,

“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel!

How can Jacob survive?

He is too weak!”

3The Lord decided not to do this. “It will not happen,” the Lord said.

4The sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields.

5I said, “Sovereign Lord, stop!

How can Jacob survive?

He is too weak!”

6The Lord decided not to do this. The sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.”

7He showed me this: I saw the sovereign One standing by a tin wall holding tin in his hand. 8The 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.

9Isaac’s centers of worship will become desolate;

Israel’s holy places will be in ruins.

I will attack Jeroboam’s dynasty with the sword.”

Amos Confronts a Priest

10Amaziah 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. 11As 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.’”

12Amaziah then said to Amos, “Leave, you visionary! Run away to the land of Judah! Earn your living and prophesy there! 13Don’t prophesy at Bethel any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!”

14Amos replied to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. No, I was a herdsman who also took care of sycamore fig trees. 15Then the Lord took me from tending flocks and gave me this commission, ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’ 16So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach against the family of Isaac!’

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.’”