71 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold , He was forming a locust-swarm when the spring crop began to sprout . And behold , the spring crop was after the king's mowing . 2 And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land , that I said , " Lord GOD , please pardon ! How can Jacob stand , For he is small ?" 3 The Lord changed His mind about this . "It shall not be," said the Lord . 4 Thus the Lord GOD showed me, and behold , the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire , and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farm land . 5 Then I said , " Lord GOD , please stop ! How can Jacob stand , for he is small ?" 6 The Lord changed His mind about this . "This too shall not be," said the Lord GOD . 7 Thus He showed me, and behold , the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand . 8 The Lord said to me, " What do you see , Amos ?" And I said , "A plumb line ." Then the Lord said , "Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel . I will spare them no longer e . 9 "The high places of Isaac will be desolated And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste . Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword ."
10 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 is unable e to endure all his words . 11 "For thus Amos says , 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile .' " 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos , " Go , you seer , flee away to the land of Judah and there eat bread and there do your prophesying ! 13 "But no longer e prophesy at Bethel , for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence ." 14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah , "I am not a prophet , nor am I the son of a prophet ; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs . 15 "But the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel .' 16 "Now hear the word of the Lord : you are saying , 'You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac .' 17 "Therefore , thus says the Lord , 'Your wife will become a harlot in the city , your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword , your land will be parceled up by a measuring line and you yourself will die upon unclean soil . Moreover, Israel will certainly go from its land into exile .' "
