The Locusts, Fire, and Plumb Line
(Joel 2:1–11)

1Thus the Lord YHWH showed me: And behold, he is forming locusts at the beginning of the coming up of the latter growth, and behold, the late crop after the mowings of the king.† 2And it came to pass, when it had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said, “Lord YHWH, forgive, please! How can Jacob arise, for he is small?”

3YHWH relented concerning this: “It will not come to pass,” said YHWH.

4Thus has the Lord YHWH shown me: And behold, the Lord YHWH was calling to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and it was devouring the portion. 5And I said, “Lord YHWH, cease, please! How can Jacob arise, for he is small?”

6YHWH relented concerning this: “It also will not come to pass,” said the Lord YHWH.

7Thus He has shown me: And behold, the Lord was standing by a wall true to plumb, and in His hand was a plumb line. 8And YHWH said to me: “What are you seeing, Amos?”

And I said, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not continue any longer to pass over him.

9And the high places of Isaac will be desolate,

and the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste;

and I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam

with the sword.”

Amaziah Accuses Amos

10And Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying: “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos has said:

‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,

and Israel will surely go into exile

away from his land!’”

12And Amaziah said to Amos: “Seer, go! Flee for yourself to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there. 13And at Bethel you will not continue to prophesy anymore, for it is the sanctuary of the king, and it is the house of the kingdom.”

14And Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was not† a prophet, nor was I the son† of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees. 15And YHWH took me away from following the herd, and YHWH said to me: ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

16And now, hear the word of YHWH: You are saying,

‘Do not prophesy against Israel,

and do not drop against the house of Isaac.’

17Therefore, thus says YHWH:

‘Your wife will be a prostitute in the city,

and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.

And your land will be divided by a line

and You will die in an unclean land,†

and Israel will surely go into exile

away from his land!’”