Amaziah Accuses Amos

Then Amaziah the priest vvv of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying,“Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words, 11 for this is what Amos has said:

‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,

and Israel will surely go into exile

away from their homeland.’ ”

12 

And Amaziah said to Amos,“Go away, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah; earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 But never prophesy vvv at Bethel again because it [is] the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom

14 

“I was not[fn] a prophet,” Amos replied“[nor was I] the son[fn] of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman [and] a tender of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the LORD took me from following the flock and said to me,‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’

16 

Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say:

‘Do not prophesy against Israel;

do not preach against the house 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 divided by a measuring line,

and you yourself will die on pagan[fn] soil.

And Israel will surely go into exile

away from their homeland.’ ” 8