God

as I exile you beyond Dammesek," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot - that is his name.

"Adonai ELOHIM swears by himself," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "I detest that Ya'akov is so proud, and I hate his palaces. I will hand over the city, along with everything in it."

And if a [dead] man's uncle, coming to bring the corpse out of the house and burn it, finds a survivor hidden in the inmost recesses of the house and asks, "Is anyone else there with you?" - then, when he receives the answer, "No," he will say, "Don't say any more, because we mustn't mention the name of ADONAI."

For when ADONAI gives the order, great houses will be shattered and small houses reduced to rubble.

"But I will raise up a nation against you, house of Isra'el," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, "and they will oppress you from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi of the 'Aravah."

Here is what Adonai ELOHIM showed me: he was forming a swarm of locusts as the late crop was starting to come up, the late crop after the hay had been cut to pay the king's tribute.

While they were finishing up eating all the vegetation in the land, I said, "Adonai ELOHIM, forgive - please! How will tiny Ya'akov survive?"

So ADONAI changed his mind about this. "It won't happen," ADONAI said.

Next Adonai ELOHIM showed me this: Adonai ELOHIM was summoning a blazing fire to consume the great abyss, and it would have devoured the land too.

But I said, "Adonai ELOHIM, stop - please! How will tiny Ya'akov survive?"

ADONAI changed his mind about it. "This too won't happen," said Adonai ELOHIM.

Then he showed me this: Adonai was standing by a wall made with a plumbline, and he had a plumbline in his hand.

ADONAI asked me, "'Amos, what do you see?" I answered, "A plumbline." Then Adonai said, "I am going to put a plumbline in among my people Isra'el; I will never again overlook their offenses.

The high places of Yitz'chak will be desolate, Isra'el's sanctuaries will be destroyed, and I will attack the house of Yarov'am with the sword."

But ADONAI took me away from following the flock, and ADONAI said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Isra'el.'

So now, hear what ADONAI says: 'You say, "Don't prophesy against Isra'el, don't lecture the people of Yitz'chak."'

Therefore ADONAI says this: 'Your wife will become a whore in the city, your sons and daughters will die by the sword, your land will be parcelled out with a measuring line, you yourself will die in an unclean land, and Isra'el will certainly be exiled from their land.'"

Here is what Adonai ELOHIM showed me: there in front of me was a basket of summer fruit.

He asked, "'Amos, what do you see?" I answered, "A basket of summer [Hebrew: kayitz] fruit." Then ADONAI said to me, "The end [Hebrew: ketz] has come for my people, I will never again overlook their offenses.

When that time comes, the songs in the temple will be wailings," says Adonai ELOHIM. "There will be many dead bodies; everywhere silence will reign."

ADONAI swears by Ya'akov's pride, "I will forget none of their deeds, ever.

"When that time comes," says Adonai ELOHIM, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.

I will turn your festivals into mourning and all your songs into wailing; I will make you all put sackcloth around your waists and shave your heads bald in grief. I will make it like mourning for an only son and its end like a bitter day.

"The time is coming," says Adonai ELOHIM, "when I will send famine over the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of ADONAI.

People will stagger from sea to sea and from north to east, running back and forth, seeking the word of ADONAI; but they will not find it.