1 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a formation of locusts at the beginning of the sprouting of the later crop; and behold, it was the young shoots after the king’s early crop was cut. 2 Before it had finished devouring the herbage of the land, I said, “Lord God, hear my prayer, forgive now the transgressions of the remnant of the house of Jacob. Who will stand and pray concerning their sins, for they are scattered?” 3 The Lord turned away his anger from this: “It shall not happen,” said the Lord. 4 This is what the Lord God showed me: behold the Lord God was ready to judge by fire, and it consumed the great deep and wiped out the inheritance. 5 I said, “Lord God, hear my prayer, forgive now the transgressions of the remnant of the house of Jacob. Who will stand and pray concerning their sins, for they are scattered?” 6 The Lord turned away his anger from this: “It shall not happen either,” said the Lord God. 7 This is what he showed me: behold the Lord was standing ready by a wall of judgement, and before him was judgement. 8 And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “Judgement.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am exercising judgement in the midst of my people Israel, and I will never again forgive them. 9 The hill-shrines of Isaac shall be desolated and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will raise up against the house of Jeroboam those who kill with the sword.” 10 Amaziah, the leader of Bethel, sent to king Jeroboam of Israel, saying: “Amos is rebelling against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall be killed by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from their land.’” 12 Amaziah also said to Amos, “Prophet, come, be off with you to the land of the house of Judah and eat bread there, and live there. 13 But never prophesy again at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” 14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah: “I am no prophet, nor am I a prophet’s son. I am an owner of herds and I have sycamore trees⁠a in the Shephelah. Because of the sins of my people I am afflicting myself. 15 But the Lord led me away from the sheep-pen, from after the sheep, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy about my people Israel.’ 16 So now, hear the word of the Lord. You say, ‘Do not prophesy about the house of Israel or teach about the house of Isaac.’ 17 Now this is what the Lord says, “Your wife shall play the harlot in the city, your sons and daughters shall be killed by the sword, and your land shall be divided up by lot; and you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall be exiled from its land.”