Amos 7 - The Voice (VOICE)

Prophets find God’s message in every word and turn of phrase. Lo-debar and Karnaim were two cities recaptured by Jeroboam II, king of Israel, after a foreign ruler had annexed them as part of his kingdom (2 Kings 10:32–36). When Jeroboam won back the region, the people celebrated (2 Kings 14:23–29); but Jeroboam was out of step with God, so the joy was short-lived. That’s where the names of the two cities become interesting. In Hebrew Lo-debar means “no thing”; Karnaim means “horns,” and horns are a symbol of strength. In a bit of sarcasm, the prophet quips that those who celebrate the retaking of Lo-debar are celebrating “nothing,” while those who claim the victory at Karnaim have only their horn, their own strength, to thank. God will have none of it.

7 This is what the Eternal Lord showed me: He brought a swarm of locusts when the crops had begun to sprout in late spring (after the king’s portion of the hay had been cut). 2 When I saw the locusts devour everything green in the land that belonged to the farmers, I spoke.

Amos: O Eternal Lord, please forgive us!
How will Jacob’s descendants survive this?
The nation is so small.

3 The Eternal relented and showed mercy.

Eternal One: What you have seen will not be.

4 Then the Eternal Lord showed me this: He called for a rain of fire, and it devoured the deep abyss and began to devour the land itself.

5 Amos: O Eternal Lord, please no! Not this!
How will Jacob’s descendants survive this?
The nation is so small.

6 And the Eternal again relented and showed mercy.

Eternal One: This will not happen either.

7 Then He showed me this: The Lord was standing by a wall built with a plumb line, and in His hand was a plumb line.

Eternal One: 8 What do you see, Amos?

Amos: A plumb line.

Eternal One: Watch what I’m about to do! I am going to put a plumb line
up against My people Israel to see what is straight and true,
And I will not look the other way any longer.
9 The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
and the religious shrines of Israel reduced to ruin,
And with sword in hand, I will bring down the house of Jeroboam the king.

10 Then Amaziah, the priest at the royal shrine in Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam, king of Israel.

Amaziah’s Message: Amos is plotting conspiracy against you in the very heart of the land of Israel. You must act. The land cannot bear any more of his speeches. 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

Amos: Jeroboam is going to die by the sword,
and the people of Israel will be captured and led away into exile far from home.

Amaziah’s Message: 12 I told Amos, “Listen, seer—run for the land of Judah; earn your living and spread your prophesies there, 13 but don’t ever show your face and try to prophesy at Bethel again because it is the king’s sanctuary and a temple for this kingdom.”

14 But Amos persisted.

Amos: I am not a professional prophet, or even the son of one. You shouldn’t be afraid of me; I am just a man who followed my herds and gathered the fruit from the sycamores 15 until the Eternal spoke to me, as I was minding my flock.

Eternal One: Go and speak My words to the people of Israel!

16 So now listen to what the Eternal has to say, you who say,
“Don’t prophesy against Israel,
Or predict the downfall of Isaac’s descendants.”
17 The Eternal One says this:

Eternal One: Your wife will be reduced to selling herself in the streets,
your sons and daughters will die by the sword,
your land will be measured out to others,
You yourself will end your days in an impure land,
and Israel will be sent into exile far from home.

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Amos 7 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

7 Thus hath the Lord Jehovah shewed me, and lo, He is forming locusts at the beginning of the ascending of the latter growth, and lo, the latter growth [is] after the mowings of the king; 2 and it hath come to pass, when it hath finished to consume the herb of the land, that I say: `Lord Jehovah, fo...
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Amos 7 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

7 The Lord God showed these things to me; and lo! a maker of locust(s) in the beginning of burgeoning things of eventide rain, and lo! eventide rain after the clipper of the king. (The Lord God showed these things to me; and lo! he made locusts at the beginning of the burgeoning things of the late g...
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Amos 7 - World English Bible (WEB)

7 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: and 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 ...
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Amos 7 - The Voice (VOICE)

Prophets find God’s message in every word and turn of phrase. Lo-debar and Karnaim were two cities recaptured by Jeroboam II, king of Israel, after a foreign ruler had annexed them as part of his kingdom (2 Kings 10:32–36). When Jeroboam won back the region, the people celebrated (2 Kings 14:23–29);...
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Amos 7 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Locusts and the Trial by Fire7 This is what my Lord Adonai has shown me: Behold, He was forming locusts at the beginning of the spring crop—after the cutting of the king’s hay. 2 When the locust-swarm had finished devouring the vegetation of the land, I said:“Adonai Elohim, please pardon!How can Ja...
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Amos 7 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb Line7 Thus the Lord God showed me: behold, he was forming locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,“O Lord God, forgive, I bes...
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Amos 7 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb Line7 Thus the Lord God showed me: behold, he was forming locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings. 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,“O Lord God, forgive, I bes...
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Amos 7 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

7 Thus hath Adonoi Hashem showed unto me; and, hinei, He formed locusts in the beginning of the springing up of the second crop; and, hinei, it was the second crop after the mowing of the melech. 2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the vegetation of ha’aretz, then I said,...
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Amos 7 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb Line7 This is what the Lord God showed me: he was forming locusts at the time the latter growth began to sprout (it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings). 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,“O Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jaco...
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Amos 7 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb-Line7 This is what the Lord God showed me: he was forming locusts at the time the latter growth began to sprout (it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings). 2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,‘O Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jaco...
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Amos 7 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb Line7 This is what the Lord God showed me: he was forming locusts at the time the latter growth began to sprout (it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings).(A)2 When they had finished eating the grass of the land, I said,“O Lord God, forgive, I beg you! How can Jac...
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Amos 7 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Vision of Locusts7 The Sovereign Lord showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king’s share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up. 2 In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said...
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Amos 7 - New Life Version (NLV)

Special Dream about Locusts7 This is what the Lord God showed me: He was making a gathering of locusts when the spring grain began to grow. The spring grain was after the king’s share had been cut. 2 When they had finished eating the grass I said, “Lord God, forgive! O that Jacob may stay alive for...
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Amos 7 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Vision of the Locusts7 Thus the Lord God showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the [a]beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king’s mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said:“O Lord God, forgive, I pray!(A)Oh,[b] th...
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Amos 7 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Locusts, fire and a plumb-line7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: he was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, ‘Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? H...
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Amos 7 - New International Version (NIV)

Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(A) He was preparing swarms of locusts(B) after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean,(C) I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob su...
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Amos 7 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Amos Has Visions of Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line7 The Lord and King gave me a vision. He was bringing large numbers of locusts on the land. The king’s share had already been harvested. Now the later crops were coming up. 2 The locusts stripped the land clean. Then I cried out, “Lord and King, for...
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