The Hebrew Prophets

"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."

Then Amatzyah the priest of Beit-El sent this message to Yarov'am king of Isra'el, "'Amos is conspiring against you there among the people of Isra'el, and the land can't bear all that he's saying.

For 'Amos says: 'Yarov'am will die by the sword, and Isra'el will be led away from their land into exile.'"

Amatzyah also said to 'Amos, "Go away, seer! Go back to the land of Y'hudah! Earn your living there; and prophesy there;

but don't prophesy any more at Beit-El; for this is the king's sanctuary, a royal temple."

'Amos gave this answer to Amatzyah: "I am not trained as a prophet, and I'm not one of the guild prophets - I own sheep and grow figs.

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."

Listen, you who swallow the needy and destroy the poor of the land!

You say, "When will Rosh-Hodesh be over, so we can market our grain? and Shabbat, so we can sell wheat?" You measure the grain in a small eifah, but the silver in heavy shekels, fixing the scales, so that you can cheat,

buying the needy for money and the poor for a pair of shoes, and sweeping up the refuse of the wheat to sell!"

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