1 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s harvest. 2 When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, "Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small."

3 Yahweh relented concerning this. "It shall not be," says Yahweh.

4 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: behold, the Lord Yahweh called for judgment by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land. 5 Then I said, "Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small."

6 Yahweh relented concerning this. "This also shall not be," says the Lord Yahweh.

7 Thus he showed me: behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 Yahweh said to me, "Amos, what do you see?"

I said, "A plumb line."

Then the Lord said, "Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. 9 The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will 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 has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’"

12 Amaziah also said to Amos, "You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there, 13 but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!"

14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs; 15 and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore listen to Yahweh’s word: ‘You say, Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore Yahweh says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’"

1 Dit het die Here HERE my laat sien -- kyk, Hy het sprinkane geformeer toe die na-gras begin uitspruit het; en kyk, dit was die na-gras nadat die snysels van die koning af was.

2 En toe hulle al die gewasse van die land afgeëet het, sê ek: Here HERE, vergeef tog! Hoe sal Jakob staande bly? want hy is klein.

3 Toe het die HERE berou gekry oor hierdie saak. Dit sal nie gebeur nie, het die HERE gesê.

4 Dit het die Here HERE my laat sien -- kyk, die Here HERE roep om 'n regstryd te voer deur vuur, en dit het die groot watervloed verteer en sou die akkerland verteer het.

5 Toe sê ek: Here HERE, hou tog op! Hoe sal Jakob staande bly? want hy is klein.

6 Die HERE het berou gekry oor hierdie saak. Dit sal ook nie gebeur nie, het die Here HERE gesê.

7 Dit het Hy my laat sien -- kyk, die Here het op 'n loodregte muur gestaan, en daar was 'n skietlood in sy hand.

8 Toe sê die HERE vir my: Wat sien jy, Amos? En ek het geantwoord: 'n Skietlood. Daarop sê die Here: Kyk, Ek gaan 'n skietlood aanlê in die midde van my volk Israel. Ek sal hom verder nie meer verbygaan nie.

9 En die hoogtes van Isak sal verwoes word, en die heiligdomme van Israel sal puinhope wees, en teen die huis van Jerobeam sal Ek met die swaard optree.

10 Toe het Am sia, die priester van Bet-el, Jerobeam, koning van Israel, laat weet: Amos het 'n sameswering gesmee teen u midde-in die huis van Israel; die land sal dit onder al sy woorde nie kan uithou nie.

11 Want so het Amos gesê: Jerobeam sal deur die swaard sterwe, en Israel sal sekerlik uit sy land in ballingskap gaan.

12 Toe sê Am sia vir Amos: Gaan weg, siener, vlug na die land Juda en eet daar brood en profeteer daar!

13 Maar in Bet-el mag jy verder nie meer profeteer nie, want dit is 'n koninklike heiligdom en 'n tempel van die ryk.

14 Toe het Amos geantwoord en aan Am sia gesê: Ek was geen profeet en ook geen profete-seun nie; maar ek was 'n veewagter en kweker van wildevyebome.

15 Maar die HERE het my agter die kleinvee weggeneem, en die HERE het aan my gesê: Gaan heen, profeteer teen my volk Israel.

16 Hoor dan nou die woord van die HERE! Jy sê: Jy mag nie teen Israel profeteer nie, en jy mag geen woorde laat druppel teen die huis van Isak nie.

17 Daarom, so sê die HERE: Jou vrou sal in die stad hoereer, en jou seuns sowel as jou dogters sal deur die swaard val, en jou grond met die meetsnoer verdeel word, en jy self sal in 'n onrein land sterwe, en Israel sekerlik in ballingskap uit sy land gaan.