Amos 7

1 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] showed me: He was preparing [forming, shaping] swarms of locusts [grasshoppers] just after the king’s harvest [mowings, the time of cutting], as the late spring crop [latter growth, the crop that grows after the main harvest] was coming up [ascending, rising]. word study 2 And when the locusts [grasshoppers, devouring insects] had eaten every green plant [vegetation, grass] in the land [earth, territory], I said, “Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah], please [I beseech thee, have mercy] forgive [pardon, show mercy]! How will Jacob [Israel, God’s chosen people] survive [stand, rise up], since he is so small [weak, insignificant]?” word study 3 So the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] relented [repented, had pity] from this [specific] plan [purpose, intention]. “It will not [certainly not, no] happen [come to be, exist],” He [Yehovah] said [spoke, declared]. word study 4 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] showed me: The Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] was calling [summoning, invoking] for judgment [punishment, reckoning] by fire [burning, flame]. It consumed [totally destroyed] the great deep [the vast, unexplored ocean, tehom] and devoured [completely ate up] the land [the earth, the physical world]. word study 5 Then I said, “Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah], please [I beseech thee, I pray] stop [cease, come to an end]! How will Jacob [the nation of Israel, the descendants of Jacob] survive [stand, rise up], since he [as a people, a nation] is so small [weak, insignificant, little]?” word study 6 So the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] relented [repented, changed His mind] from this plan [purpose, intention]. “It will not [never] happen [come to pass, occur] either [also, too],” said the Lord GOD [Adonay, the sovereign Lord]. word study 7 This is what He showed me: Behold [look, see], the Lord [Adonay, the reverenced God] was standing [stationed, positioned] by a wall [a barrier, a divider] true to plumb [straight, level, using a plumbline], with a plumb line [a weighted cord, a measuring tool] in His hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share]. word study 8 “Amos, what [do you perceive, see with spiritual insight] do you see?” asked the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. “A plumb line [a tool for ensuring straightness],” I replied. “Behold [look, take notice],” said the Lord, “I am setting [establishing, appointing] a plumb line [a standard of righteousness] among My people [My nation, My chosen ones] Israel [the descendants of Jacob]; I will no longer [not again, not anymore] spare [show mercy, have compassion on] them: word study 9 The high places [elevations, cultic platforms] of Isaac [son of Abraham] will be deserted [desolate, laid waste], and the sanctuaries [holy places, temples] of Israel [God’s chosen people] will be laid waste [destroyed, dried up]; and I will rise up [stand firm, take action] against the house [dynasty, family] of Jeroboam [king of Israel, leader of rebellion] with My sword [cutting instrument].” word study 10 Then Amaziah [the priest of Beth-el, a leader in Israel] the priest of Bethel sent word [a message, a report] to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired [plotted, rebelled] against you in the midst [the inner part, the heart] of the house of Israel [the people of God, the nation]. The land [the earth, the territory] cannot bear [is not able to sustain, endure] all his words [messages, prophecies], word study 11 for [thus, in this manner] this is what Amos [the prophet of God] has said: ‘Jeroboam [the king of Israel] will die [be killed, meet his end] by the sword [a cutting instrument], and Israel [the people of God, the descendants of Jacob] will surely [certainly, without a doubt] go into exile [be led away captive, be removed from their homeland], away from their homeland [their own land, the promised territory].’” word study 12 And Amaziah [a priest, the son of Joash] said to Amos [a prophet, a seer], “Go away [flee, depart], you seer [one who receives visions from God]! Flee [run away quickly] to the land [territory, region] of Judah [the southern kingdom]; earn your bread [food, livelihood] there and do your prophesying [speaking under the influence of the divine spirit] there [in that place, at that time]. word study 13 But never [do not, cease to] prophesy at [in the city of] Bethel [house of God, Beth-el] again, because it is the [royal, king’s] sanctuary [holy place, temple] of the king [ruler, monarch] and the [national, royal] temple [house, palace] of the kingdom [dominion, reign].” word study 14 “I was not [by profession or training] a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son [a descendant or member] of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman [cattle-tender, someone who takes care of livestock] and a tender [gatherer, cultivator] of sycamore-fig trees [a type of fig tree, like the one Zacchaeus climbed]. word study 15 But the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] took me from following [caring for, tending] the flock [a group of sheep or goats, figuratively people] and said to me, ‘Go [walk, move forward], prophesy [speak under the influence of the divine spirit] to My people [Amaw, a nation or group] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people].’ word study 16 Now [at this time], therefore, hear [listen and obey] the word [divine message, utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. You say: ‘Do not [refrain from] prophesy [speak under divine inspiration] against Israel [the descendants of Jacob]; do not [cease from] preach [speak or proclaim] against the house [family, descendants] of Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham].’ word study 17 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Your wife [woman, female companion] will become a prostitute [to fornicate, be unfaithful] in the city [town, settlement], and your sons [male descendants] and daughters [female children] will fall [be defeated, die] by the sword [cutting instrument, weapon]. Your land [earth, soil, territory] will be divided [measured, apportioned] by a measuring line [cord, rope], and you yourself will die [cease to exist, perish] on pagan [unclean, polluted] soil [land, ground]. And Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants] will surely [certainly, without a doubt] go into exile [captivity, banishment], away from their homeland [native land, territory].’” word study