The Skeptics Annotated Bible (692 page)

11 For, behold
, the LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

(6.11) “The LORD commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.”

12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

14 But, behold,
I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you
from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

(6.14) “I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the LORD the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you.”

(7.1-3) Amos’ first vision: God makes grass-eating grasshoppers and then repents.

7
Thus hath the Lord
GOD
shewed unto me; and, behold, he
formed grasshoppers
in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king’s mowings.

(7.1)
“God … formed grasshoppers.”

2 And it came to pass, that
when they had made an end of eating the grass
of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

(7.2) “When they had made an end of eating the grass.”

3
The LORD repented for this
: It shall not be, saith the LORD.

(7.3) The Lord repented for this.
32 Does God repent?

4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part.

5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small.

6 The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD.

(7.7-8) God stands on a wall holding a plumb line while he talks to Amos.

7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold,
the Lord stood upon a wall
made by a plumbline,
with a plumbline in his hand.

(7.7)
“The LORD stood upon a wall … with a plumbline in his hand.”
49 Can God be seen?

8 And
the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

(7.8)
“The LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.”

(7.9-11) God will kill the house of Jeroboam with the sword.

9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and
I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword
.

(7.9)
“I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

11 For thus Amos saith,
Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.

(7.11) “Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.”

12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:

13 But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.

14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

15 And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.

17 Therefore
thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity
forth of his land.

(7.17)
“Thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity.”