Amos 7:1
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּה֙ יוֹצֵ֣ר גֹּבַ֔י בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִ֨נֵּה־לֶ֔קֶשׁ אַחַ֖ר גִּזֵּ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
Thus Lord YHWH caused me to see and behold forming grasshoppers at the beginning of the going up of the spring crop, and behold the spring crop is after the mowing of the king.
Paraphrase: On another occasion, YHWH, the Great King, gave me a vision. I never could forget what I saw. YHWH brought me into His council room (Amos 3:7) and showed me what He was about to do. There I saw YHWH forming and assembling an army of grasshoppers. Then, I remembered that it was the very time when the spring crops were sprouting. Surely these grasshoppers would consume everything in sight. (By this time, that part of the crop which was for the king had already been set aside)
Comments:
Amos 7:2
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־כִּלָּה֙ לֶֽאֱכוֹל֙ אֶת־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ סְֽלַֽח־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
And it was when he finished to devour the vegetation of the land that I said, “Lord YHWH, forgive please! Who will stand up for Jacob? For small he is.
Paraphrase: Then, I trembled with fear. The reality of what I was seeing dawned on me. God’s patience had come to an end; He was preparing to destroy His people completely. I saw in my mind’s eye this army of grasshoppers descending on the spring crops, devouring the tender sprouts, and leaving the land in a state of utter desolation. Then, in desperation, I stepped forward and cried out, “Lord YHWH, Great King of heaven and earth! We have sinned! Oh Lord, hear; Oh Lord, forgive; Oh Lord, listen and act! Have mercy upon your people. Who is there in this council room who will stand up and speak for the interests of the people of Israel? Oh Lord, please think of all the weak and poor in the land who will suffer so terribly if the spring crop is destroyed! What will they do on the day of Your judgments?”
Comments:
Amos 7:3
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃
YHWH had compassion at this. “It will not be,” says YHWH.
Paraphrase: Then, I saw what I can never forget. YHWH, the Great King, paused. He looked down on His people. I saw His anger and wrath turn to love and pity as He looked on His erring children. Then I heard Him speak, “It will not be; I will hold out My hands (Romans 10:21) a little while longer.”
Comments:
Amos 7:4
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קֹרֵ֛א לָרִ֥ב בָּאֵ֖שׁ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ אֶת־תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אֶת־הַחֵֽלֶק׃
Thus Lord YHWH caused me to see and behold calling to contend with fire, Lord YHWH, and it devoured the great deep and devoured the portion.
Paraphrase: Shortly thereafter, YHWH brought me back to His council room. Once again, He showed me His plans. (Amos 3:7) This time, I could see that He was summoning a great fire by which He would judge His people for their sin. This fire was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I saw in an instant that it would devour everything in sight; nothing would be left behind. Everyone would lose their livelihood and the land on which they relied. Even the very depths of the ocean would be consumed by this burning.
Comments:
Amos 7:5
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ חֲדַל־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
Then I said, “Lord YHWH, stop please! Who will stand up for Jacob? For He is small.
Paraphrase: Then, I trembled with fear. Once again, I realized what YHWH was about to do. His patience had come to an end, and He was preparing to destroy His people completely. I knew what this fire would do if it were unleashed on Israel. Again, in desperation, I stepped forward and cried out, “Lord YHWH, Great King of heaven and earth! We have sinned! Oh Lord, please hold back on destroying your people. Please have compassion on your people and put away this dreadful fire. I ask you again, who is there in this room who will stand up and speak for the interests of the people of Israel? Oh Lord, please think of all the weak and poor in the land who will suffer so terribly before this consuming fire! (Hebrews 12:29) What will they do on the day of Your judgments?”
Comments:
Amos 7:6
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את גַּם־הִיא֙ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ס
YHWH had compassion at this. “Also this, it will not be,” says Lord YHWH.
Paraphrase: Then, I saw it again. I saw the anger and severity of YHWH, the Great King, melt away. He looked down on His erring children with love and pity and said, “Once again, I change My plans. This judgment of fire is cancelled; it will not be. I will hold out My hands (Romans 10:21) a little while longer.”
Comments:
Amos 7:7
כֹּ֣ה הִרְאַ֔נִי וְהִנֵּ֧ה אֲדֹנָ֛י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־חוֹמַ֣ת אָנָ֑ךְ וּבְיָד֖וֹ אֲנָֽךְ׃
Thus He caused me to see and behold, Adonai, standing on a wall of lead and in His hand lead.
Paraphrase: Again, YHWH brought me to His council room and showed Me His plans for His people. This time, I saw Him standing on a wall. In His hand was a plumbline.
Comments:
Amos 7:8
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ׃
And YHWH said to me, “What are you seeing, Amos?” And I said “Lead.” And Adonai said, “Behold Me placing lead in the midst of My people, Israel. I will no longer pass through again for him.”
Paraphrase: Then YHWH, the Great King, turned to me and asked, “What are you seeing now, Amos?”
“I see you standing on the wall and dropping down a plumbline.” I replied.
“You are correct,” said the Lord, “Now watch as I drop this plumbline down on My people and assess whether they are straight and true. How will they come out? On the contrary, I will no longer go among them and see what they are doing. I’ve seen all the injustice and oppression. I’m putting away My plumbline; I have no need for it any longer. I already know the verdict. They are doomed to utter destruction.
Comments:
Amos 7:9
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יִשְׂחָ֔ק וּמִקְדְּשֵׁ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ וְקַמְתִּ֛י עַל־בֵּ֥ית יָרָבְעָ֖ם בֶּחָֽרֶב׃פ
And the high places of Isaac will be desolate and the holy places of Israel will be laid waste, and I will arise on the house Jeroboam with a sword.
Paraphrase: All the places where My people carry on their hypocritical worship, at Dan, Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba and wherever else, I will destroy them. They will be smashed to pieces. Yes, I will strap on my weapons and stand up to confront Jeroboam and all those who stand by him. I will meet them with a sharp sword.
Comments:
Amos 7:10
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲמַצְיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל אֶל־יָרָבְעָ֥ם מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר קָשַׁ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ עָמ֗וֹס בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹא־תוּכַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לְהָכִ֖יל אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרָֽיו׃
Amos 7:11
כִּי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר עָמ֔וֹס בַּחֶ֖רֶב יָמ֣וּת יָרָבְעָ֑ם וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃ס
Amos 7:12
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲמַצְיָה֙ אֶל־עָמ֔וֹס חֹזֶ֕ה לֵ֥ךְ בְּרַח־לְךָ֖ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֑ה וֶאֱכָל־שָׁ֣ם לֶ֔חֶם וְשָׁ֖ם תִּנָּבֵֽא׃
Amos 7:13
וּבֵֽית־אֵ֔ל לֹֽא־תוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד לְהִנָּבֵ֑א כִּ֤י מִקְדַּשׁ־מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ ה֔וּא וּבֵ֥ית מַמְלָכָ֖ה הֽוּא׃ס
Amos 7:14
וַיַּ֤עַן עָמוֹס֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־אֲמַצְיָ֔ה לֹא־נָבִ֣יא אָנֹ֔כִי וְלֹ֥א בֶן־נָבִ֖יא אָנֹ֑כִי כִּֽי־בוֹקֵ֥ר אָנֹ֖כִי וּבוֹלֵ֥ס שִׁקְמִֽים׃
Amos 7:15
וַיִּקָּחֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה מֵאַחֲרֵ֖י הַצֹּ֑אן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֵ֥ךְ הִנָּבֵ֖א אֶל־עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Amos 7:16
וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֗ר לֹ֤א תִנָּבֵא֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תַטִּ֖יף עַל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂחָֽק׃
Amos 7:17
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֞ בָּעִ֤יר תִּזְנֶה֙ וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וְאַדְמָתְךָ֖ בַּחֶ֣בֶל תְּחֻלָּ֑ק וְאַתָּ֗ה עַל־אֲדָמָ֤ה טְמֵאָה֙ תָּמ֔וּת וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃ס