Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line
1This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
3So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen,” the Lord said.
4This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
6So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.
7This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. with a plumb line7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain; also in verse 8. in his hand. 8And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?”
“A plumb line,” I replied.
Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
9“The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined;
with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”
Amos and Amaziah
10Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11For this is what Amos is saying:
“ ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
and Israel will surely go into exile,
away from their native land.’ ”
12Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”
14Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16Now then, hear the word of the Lord. You say,
“ ‘Do not prophesy against Israel,
and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’
17“Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“ ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,
and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
and you yourself will die in a pagan7:17 Hebrew an unclean country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,
away from their native land.’ ”
Ngigĩ, na Mwaki, na Kabirũ
17:1 Thab 78:46; Joel 1:4Mwathani Jehova aanyonirie ũũ: Nĩkũhaarĩria aharagĩria mĩrumbĩ ya ngigĩ thuutha wa magetha marĩa maagethagĩrwo mũthamaki, o ihinda rĩrĩa kĩmera gĩa keerĩ kĩambagĩrĩria. 27:2 Ezek 11:13Ciarĩkia kũrĩa tũhuti tuothe, bũrũri ũgĩthera biũ, ngĩkaya ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mwathani Jehova, marekere! Jakubu-rĩ, angĩhonoka gĩkuũ atĩa? Nĩgũkorwo nĩ mũnini mũno!”
37:3 Gũcook 32:36; Hos 11:8Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova akĩigua tha.
Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũcio ndũgwĩkĩka.”
47:4 Isa 66:16; Gũcook 32:22Ningĩ Mwathani Jehova akĩnyonia ũũ: Mwathani Jehova nĩ gwĩtia eetagia mwaki amaciirithie naguo; mwaki ũcio ũkĩniaria maaĩ ma kũrĩa kũriku mũno, na ũkĩniina bũrũri. 57:5 Joel 2:17Ningĩ ngĩkaya, ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Mwathani Jehova ndagũthaitha, tiga! Jakubu-rĩ, angĩhonoka gĩkuũ atĩa? Nĩgũkorwo nĩ mũnini mũno!”
67:6 Thaam 32:14; Jon 3:10; Jer 42:10Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova akĩigua tha.
Mwathani Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũcio o naguo ndũgwĩkĩka.”
7Ningĩ akĩnyonia ũũ: Mwathani aarũgamĩte rũthingo-inĩ rwakĩtwo na rũgathimwo wega na kabirũ nake anyiitĩte rũrigi rwa kabirũ na guoko. 87:8 2Ath 21:13Nake Jehova akĩnjũũria atĩrĩ, “Amosi, nĩ kĩĩ ũroona”?
Na niĩ ngĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ: “Nĩ kabirũ ndĩrona.”
Ningĩ Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, nĩ kabirũ ndĩracuuria gatagatĩ ka andũ akwa a Isiraeli, ndigacooka kũmaiguĩra tha rĩngĩ.
97:9 Alaw 26:30; 2Ath 15:9“Kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru kwa Isaaka nĩgũkaniinwo,
na kũndũ kũrĩa kwamũre kwa Isiraeli nĩgũkanangwo;
na nĩngokĩrĩra nyũmba ya Jeroboamu na rũhiũ rwakwa rwa njora.”
Amosi na Amazia
107:10 Josh 7:2; 2Ath 14:24Nake Amazia mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wa Betheli agĩtũmana kũrĩ Jeroboamu, mũthamaki wa Isiraeli, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Amosi nĩagũciirĩire agũũkĩrĩre arĩ o gũkũ thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli. Bũrũri ndũngĩhota gũkirĩrĩria ndeto ciake ciothe. 11Nĩgũkorwo Amosi aroiga atĩrĩ:
“ ‘Jeroboamu akooragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora,
na ti-itherũ andũ a Isiraeli nĩmagatahwo,
matwarwo kũraya na bũrũri wao.’ ”
127:12 1Sam 9:9; Math 8:34Ningĩ Amazia akĩĩra Amosi atĩrĩ, “Umagara wee muoni-maũndũ ũyũ! Cooka bũrũri wa Juda. Wĩcaragĩrie gĩa kũrĩa kuo, na ũrathage maũndũ ũrĩ kuo. 137:13 Josh 7:2Ndũkaarathĩre ũhoro rĩngĩ gũkũ Betheli tondũ gũkũ nĩkuo kwamũrĩirwo gĩikaro kĩa mũthamaki na hekarũ ya ũthamaki.”
14Amosi agĩcookeria Amazia atĩrĩ, “Niĩ-rĩ, ndiarĩ mũnabii kana mũrũ wa mũnabii, no ndaarĩ mũrĩithi wa mahiũ na ningĩ mũmenyereri wa mĩkũyũ. 157:15 Isa 6:9; Ezek 2:3-4No Jehova akĩnduta rũũru-inĩ rwa mahiũ akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩ ũkarathĩre andũ akwa a Isiraeli ũhoro.’ 16Na rĩrĩ, kĩigue ũhoro wa Jehova. Wee ũroiga atĩrĩ,
“ ‘Ndũkarathĩre Isiraeli ũndũ mũũru,
na ũtige kũhunjia maũndũ ma gũũkĩrĩra nyũmba ya Isaaka.’
177:17 2Ath 17:6; Hos 4:13“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova ekuuga ũũ:
“ ‘Mũtumia waku nĩagatuĩka mũmaraya itũũra-inĩ inene,
nao aanake aku na airĩtu aku makooragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora.
Bũrũri waku ũgaathimwo na ũgayanio,
na wee mwene-rĩ, ũgaakuĩra bũrũri wa andũ matooĩ Ngai.
Na ti-itherũ andũ a Isiraeli no nginya magaatahwo,
matwarwo kũraya na bũrũri wao.’ ”
