Amos 7:11-17

11 For Amos saith these things, Jeroboam shall die by sword, and Israel (taken) captive shall pass from his land. (For Amos saith these things; Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and the people of Israel shall be taken away captive from their own land.)

12 And Amaziah said to Amos, Thou that seest, go; flee thou into the land of Judah, and eat thou there thy bread; and there thou shalt prophesy. (And then Amaziah said to Amos, Go thou away, O seer/O prophet; flee thou into the land of Judah, and eat thy food there; and there thou shalt prophesy.)

13 And thou shalt no more put to, that thou prophesy in Bethel, for it is the hallowing of the king, and is the house of the realm. (But no more shalt thou come forth here, so that thou prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's place of worship, and the house of the realm/for it is the sanctuary of the king, and a royal palace.)

14 And Amos answered, and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, and I am not [the] son of a prophet; but an herder of neat I am, drawing up sycamores. (And Amos answered, and said to Amaziah, I am not a prophet, and I am not the son of a prophet; but I am a herdsman, and a gatherer of the figs of the sycamores.)

15 And the Lord took me, when I followed the flock; and the Lord said to me, Go, and prophesy thou to my people Israel.

16 And now hear thou the word of the Lord. Thou sayest, Thou shalt not prophesy on Israel, and thou shalt not drop (thy word) on the house of idol. (And so now hear the word of the Lord. Thou hast said, Thou shalt not prophesy against Israel, and thou shalt not drop thy word against the house of Isaac.)

17 For this thing the Lord saith these things, Thy wife shall do fornication in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by sword, and thy land shall be meted with a little cord; and thou shalt die in a polluted land, and Israel (taken) captive shall pass from his land. (For this thing the Lord saith these things, Thy wife shall go a whoring in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be measured with a little cord; and thou shalt die in a polluted land, and the people of Israel shall be taken away captive from their own land.)

Amos 7:11-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO AMOS 7

In this and the two following chapters are the visions of Amos, in number five; three of which are contained in this chapter, and with which it begins. The first is of the grasshoppers or locusts eating up the later grass of the land, which are stopped at the intercession of the prophet, Am 7:1-3; the second is of fire the Lord called for to contend by, whose devouring flames are made to cease by the same interposition, Am 7:4-6; and the other is of the plumbline, signifying the utter destruction of the people of Israel, according to the righteous judgment of God, Am 7:7-9; upon the delivery of which prophecies and visions, the priest of Bethel forms a charge against the prophet to the king; and advises Amos to flee into Judea, and prophesy there, and not at Bethel, being willing to be rid of him at any rate, Am 7:10-13; next follows the prophet's vindication of himself showing his divine call to the prophetic office, and his mission and express order he had from the Lord to prophesy unto Israel, Am 7:14,15; and concludes with a denunciation of divine judgments on the priest's family, and upon the whole land of Israel, Am 7:16,17.