The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּה֙ יוֹצֵ֣ר גֹּבַ֔י בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִ֨נֵּה־לֶ֔קֶשׁ אַחַ֖ר גִּזֵּ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־כִּלָּה֙ לֶֽאֱכוֹל֙ אֶת־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ סְֽלַֽח־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃
So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קֹרֵ֛א לָרִ֥ב בָּאֵ֖שׁ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ אֶת־תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אֶת־הַחֵֽלֶק׃
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land.
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ חֲדַל־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
Then I said, “Lord GOD, please stop! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?”
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את גַּם־הִיא֙ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס
So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen either,” said the Lord GOD.
כֹּ֣ה הִרְאַ֔נִי וְהִנֵּ֧ה אֲדֹנָ֛י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־חוֹמַ֣ת אֲנָ֑ךְ וּבְיָד֖וֹ אֲנָֽךְ׃
This is what He showed me: Behold, the Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ׃
“Amos, what do you see?” asked the LORD. “A plumb line,” I replied. “Behold,” said the Lord, “I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them:
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יִשְׂחָ֔ק וּמִקְדְּשֵׁ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ וְקַמְתִּ֛י עַל־בֵּ֥ית יָרָבְעָ֖ם בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ פ
The high places of Isaac will be deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with My sword.”
Amaziah Accuses Amos
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲמַצְיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל אֶל־יָרָבְעָ֥ם מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר קָשַׁ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ עָמ֗וֹס בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹא־תוּכַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לְהָכִ֖יל אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words,
כִּי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר עָמ֔וֹס בַּחֶ֖רֶב יָמ֣וּת יָרָבְעָ֑ם וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃ ס
for this is what Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲמַצְיָה֙ אֶל־עָמ֔וֹס חֹזֶ֕ה לֵ֥ךְ בְּרַח־לְךָ֖ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֑ה וֶאֱכָל־שָׁ֣ם לֶ֔חֶם וְשָׁ֖ם תִּנָּבֵֽא׃
And Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.
וּבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל לֹֽא־תוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד לְהִנָּבֵ֑א כִּ֤י מִקְדַּשׁ־מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ ה֔וּא וּבֵ֥ית מַמְלָכָ֖ה הֽוּא׃ ס
But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.”
וַיַּ֤עַן עָמוֹס֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־אֲמַצְיָ֔ה לֹא־נָבִ֣יא אָנֹ֔כִי וְלֹ֥א בֶן־נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי כִּֽי־בוֹקֵ֥ר אָנֹ֖כִי וּבוֹלֵ֥ס שִׁקְמִֽים׃
“I was not a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees.
וַיִּקָּחֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה מֵאַחֲרֵ֖י הַצֹּ֑אן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֵ֥ךְ הִנָּבֵ֖א אֶל־עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
But the LORD took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֗ר לֹ֤א תִנָּבֵא֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תַטִּ֖יף עַל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂחָֽק׃
Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֞ בָּעִ֤יר תִּזְנֶה֙ וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וְאַדְמָתְךָ֖ בַּחֶ֣בֶל תְּחֻלָּ֑ק וְאַתָּ֗ה עַל־אֲדָמָ֤ה טְמֵאָה֙ תָּמ֔וּת וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃ ס
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”