Amos 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 This is what Lord Yahweh showed me: there was a swarm of locusts when the second crop wassprouting, full-grown locusts, after the king's hay had been cut.	1 This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was forming a locust swarm when the late growth began to come up (the late growth after the king's mowing).
2 When they had eaten al the grass in the land, I said, 'Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you. How can Jacobsurvive, being so smal ?'	2 While they were eating all the grass in the land, I said: Forgive, O Lord GOD! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!
3 Then Yahweh relented; 'It wil not happen,' said Yahweh.	3 And the LORD repented of this. "It shall not be," said the Lord GOD.
4 This is what Lord Yahweh showed me: Lord Yahweh summoning fire in punishment; it had devouredthe great Abyss and was encroaching on the land,	4 Then the Lord GOD showed me this: he called for a judgment by fire. It had devoured the great abyss, and was consuming the land,
5 when I said, 'Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you. How can Jacob survive, being so smal ?'	5 when I said: Cease, O Lord GOD! How can Jacob stand? He is so small!
6 Then Yahweh relented; 'This wil not happen either,' said the Lord Yahweh.	6 The LORD repented of this. "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD.
7 This is what he showed me: the Lord standing by a wal , with a plumb-line in his hand.	7 Then the Lord GOD showed me this: he was standing by a wall, plummet in hand.
8 'What do you see, Amos?' Yahweh asked me. 'A plumb-line,' I said. Then the Lord said, 'Look, I amgoing to put a plumb-line in among my people Israel; never again will I overlook their offences.	8 The LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" And when I answered, "A plummet," the Lord said: See, I will lay the plummet in the midst of my people Israel; I will forgive them no longer.
9 The high places of Isaac wil be ruined and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste, and, sword in hand, Iwil attack the House of Jeroboam.'	9 The high places of Isaac shall be laid waste, and the sanctuaries of Israel made desolate; I will attack the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
10 Amaziah the priest of Bethel then sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel as fol ows, 'Amos is plottingagainst you in the heart of the House of Israel; the country cannot tolerate his speeches.	10 Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam, king of Israel: "Amos has conspired against you here within Israel; the country cannot endure all his words.
11 For this is what Amos says, "Jeroboam is going to die by the sword, and Israel wil go into captivity farfrom its native land." '	11 For this is what Amos says: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land."
12 To Amos himself Amaziah said, 'Go away, seer, take yourself off to Judah, earn your living there, andthere you can prophesy!	12 To Amos, Amaziah said: "Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying,
13 But never again wil you prophesy at Bethel, for this is a royal sanctuary, a national temple.'	13 but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary and a royal temple."
14 'I am not a prophet,' Amos replied to Amaziah, 'nor do I belong to a prophetic brotherhood. I ammerely a herdsman and dresser of sycamore-figs.	14 Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
15 But Yahweh took me as I fol owed the flock, and Yahweh said to me, "Go and prophesy to my peopleIsrael."	15 The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel.
16 So now listen to what Yahweh says: "You say: Do not prophesy against Israel, do not foretel doomon the House of Isaac!"	16 Now hear the word of the LORD!" You say: prophesy not against Israel, preach not against the house of Isaac.
17 Very wel , this is what Yahweh says, "Your wife wil become a prostitute in the streets, your sons anddaughters wil fal by the sword, your land wil be parcel ed out by measuring line, and you yourself wil die onpolluted soil and Israel will go into captivity far from its own land!" '	17 Now thus says the LORD: Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; Israel shall be exiled far from its land.