57 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
57 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
A Vision of Locusts
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# Chapter 7
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1. The Sovereign LORD showed me a vision. I saw him preparing to send a vast swarm of locusts over the land. This was after the king's share had been harvested from the fields and as the main crop was coming up.
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2. In my vision the locusts ate every green plant in sight. Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, please forgive us or we will not survive, for Israel is so small."
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3. So the LORD relented from this plan. "I will not do it," he said.
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A Vision of Fire
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4. Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. I saw him preparing to punish his people with a great fire. The fire had burned up the depths of the sea and was devouring the entire land.
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5. Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, please stop or we will not survive, for Israel is so small."
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6. Then the LORD relented from this plan, too. "I will not do that either," said the Sovereign LORD.
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A Vision of a Plumb Line
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7. Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight.
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8. And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?"
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I answered, "A plumb line."
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And the Lord replied, "I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins.
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9. The pagan shrines of your ancestors will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end."
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Amos and Amaziah
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10. Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel: "Amos is hatching a plot against you right here on your very doorstep! What he is saying is intolerable.
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11. He is saying, 'Jeroboam will soon be killed, and the people of Israel will be sent away into exile.'"
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12. Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: "Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there!
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13. Don't bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king's sanctuary and the national place of worship!"
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14. But Amos replied, "I'm not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I'm just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees.
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15. But the LORD called me away from my flock and told me, 'Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.'
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16. Now then, listen to this message from the LORD:
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"You say,
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'Don't prophesy against Israel.
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Stop preaching against my people.'
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17. But this is what the LORD says:
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'Your wife will become a prostitute in this city,
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and your sons and daughters will be killed.
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Your land will be divided up,
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and you yourself will die in a foreign land.
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And the people of Israel will certainly become captives in exile,
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far from their homeland.'"
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