1This is what the Master I AM showed me: He created a grasshopper swarm to invade the land between the time taxes were paid to the king and the main harvest.
2 And it happened that when they had finished eating every green thing in the country, I said, "O Master I Am! I beg You to forgive us, or we can't survive because we are so small!
3The I Am changed His mind and said, "It won't happen."
4This is what the Master I AM showed me: and, behold, the The Master I Am punished Israel with a great fire that burned up the land and seas.
5Then said I, "O Master I Am, Please stop! Who will save Jacob? He's too small!
6The I Am changed His mind and said, "This won't happen either."
7Then He showed me another vision: The Master stood by a wall made straight with a plumbline, holding a plumbline in his hand.
A plumbline is a long string with a weight tied to the end of it. Gravity makes the string hang perfectly straight. So when building a wall, you hold the plumbline next to it to make sure you get the wall straight.
8The I Am asked me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumbline." Then He said, "Look, I will set a plumbline in the middle of my people Israel. I will not ignore their sins anymore.
9 "The Mountain top shrines of Isaac will be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be destroyed; and I will end the dynasty of Jeroboam with the sword."
10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos is conspiring against you right in the middle of the country! The country can't tolerate his words!
11 Because this is what Amos is saying, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely be led away captive out of their own country.'"
12Also Amaziah said to Amos, "Run away! Go back to Judah and make your living prophesying there!
13 "Don't prophesy in Bethel anymore because it is the King's temple and court."
14 Amos answered him and said, "I'm not a professional prophet, and have never been trained to be one. I'm a shepherd and raise sycamore-fig trees.
15 "The I Am took me away from my flocks, and told me to go prophesy to Israel.
16 "Now listen to the word of the I Am; You tell me not to prophesy against Israel, and not to say anything bad about the decedents of Isaac.
17 "So this is what the I Am says, 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword, your land divided up to other people, and you will die in a foreign land. All Israel will become captives in exile.'"