Amos 7:1-17 ICB

[1] This is what the Lord God showed me: He was forming a swarm of locusts. This was after the king had taken his share of the first crop. The second crop had just begun growing. [2] The locusts ate all the crops in the country. After that I said, "Lord God, forgive us, I beg you! No one in Israel could live through this. Israel is too small already!" [3] So the Lord felt sorry about this. "This will not happen," said the Lord. [4] This is what the Lord God showed me: The Lord God was calling for fire to come to punish. The fire dried up the deep water and destroyed the land. [5] Then I cried out, "Lord God, stop, I beg you! No one in Israel could live through this. Israel is too small already." [6] So the Lord felt sorry about this. "This will not happen either," said the Lord God. [7] This is what the Lord showed me: The Lord stood by a straight wall. He had a plumb line in his hand. [8] The Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I will put a plumb line among my people Israel to show how crooked they are. I will not feel sorry for them any longer. [9] "The places where Isaac's descendants worship will be destroyed. Israel's holy places will be turned into ruins. And I will attack King Jeroboam's family with the sword." [10] So Amaziah, a priest at Bethel, sent this message to Jeroboam king of Israel: "Amos is making evil plans against you with the people of Israel. He has been speaking so much that this land can't hold all his words. [11] Amos has said this: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and the people of Israel will be taken as captives out of their own country.'" [12] Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Seer, go, run away to Judah. Do your prophesying and earn your living there. [13] But don't prophesy anymore here at Bethel. This is King Jeroboam's holy place. This is Israel's temple." [14] Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I do not make my living as a prophet. And I am not a member of a group of prophets. I make my living as a shepherd. And I take care of sycamore trees. [15] But the Lord took me away from tending the sheep. He said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people, the Israelites.' [16] So listen to the Lord's message. You tell me, 'Don't prophesy against Israel. And stop prophesying against the descendants of Isaac.' [17] "Because you have said this, the Lord says: 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city. Your sons and daughters will be killed with swords. Other people will take your land and divide it among themselves. And you will die in a foreign country. The people of Israel will definitely be taken from their own land as captives.'"