1This is what the Almighty LORD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts when the second crop was being harvested. It was the harvest that followed the harvest for the king.

2When the locusts had finished eating every plant in the land, I said, "Almighty LORD, please forgive us! How can [the descendants of] Jacob survive? There are so few of them."

3The LORD changed his plans about this. "This won't happen," the LORD said.

4This is what the Almighty LORD showed me: The Almighty LORD was calling for judgment by fire. The fire dried up the ocean and burned up the land.

5Then I said, "Almighty LORD, please stop! How can [the descendants of] Jacob survive? There are so few of them."

6The LORD changed his plans about this. "This won't happen either," the Almighty LORD said.

7This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall built with the use of a plumb line, and he had a plumb line in his hand.

8He asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" I answered, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "I'm going to hold a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will no longer overlook what they have done.

9The worship sites of Isaac will be destroyed, and the holy places of Israel will be in ruins. I will attack Jeroboam's heirs with my sword."

10Then Amaziah, the priest at Bethel, sent a message to King Jeroboam of Israel. It read, "Amos is plotting against you among the people of Israel. The country isn't able to endure everything he is saying. 11Amos says that Jeroboam will be killed with a sword and that Israel cannot avoid being taken from its land into exile." 12Then Amaziah said to Amos, "You seer, run away to Judah! Eat there, and prophesy there! 13But don't [ever] prophesy again in Bethel, because this is the king's holy place and the king's palace."

14Amos responded, "I'm not a prophet, and I'm not a disciple of the prophets. I am a rancher and a grower of figs. 15But the LORD took me away from herding the flock and said to me, 'Prophesy to my people Israel.' 16"Now listen to the word of the LORD: You said, 'Stop prophesying against Israel, and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.' 17"However, this is what the LORD says: Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will be killed with swords. Your land will be surveyed and divided up, and you will die in an unclean land. Israel cannot avoid being taken from its land into exile."