The prophets
Amos' Three Visions: Locusts, Fire, and a Plumb Line
The Lord shows Amos three visions: a swarm of locusts, a consuming fire, and a plumb line beside a wall. Amos' intercession for Jacob stops the first two judgments, but upon seeing the plumb line, the Lord declares that He will no longer spare Israel, and that the house of Jeroboam shall be struck by the sword.
Amos 7,1-9
1This is what the Lord GOD showed me: he was forming a swarm of locusts just as the late crop was beginning to come up—the late crop that follows the king's mowings.
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּה֙ יוֹצֵ֣ר גֹּבַ֔י בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת עֲל֣וֹת הַלָּ֑קֶשׁ וְהִ֨נֵּה־לֶ֔קֶשׁ אַחַ֖ר גִּזֵּ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
2And when they had finished devouring the vegetation of the land, I said, "Lord GOD, forgive, I pray! How can Jacob stand? He is so small."
וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־כִּלָּה֙ לֶֽאֱכֹל֙ אֶת־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ סְֽלַֽח־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
3The LORD relented concerning this. "It shall not be," said the LORD.
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃
4This is what the Lord GOD showed me: behold, the Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire, and it devoured the great deep and began to devour the farmland.
כֹּ֤ה הִרְאַ֙נִי֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קֹרֵ֛א לָרִ֥ב בָּאֵ֖שׁ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ אֶת־תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וְאָכְלָ֖ה אֶת־הַחֵֽלֶק׃
5Then I said, "Lord GOD, stop, I pray! How can Jacob stand? He is so small."
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ חֲדַל־נָ֔א מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַעֲקֹ֑ב כִּ֥י קָטֹ֖ן הֽוּא׃
6The LORD relented concerning this. "This also shall not be," said the Lord GOD.
נִחַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַל־זֹ֑את גַּם־הִיא֙ לֹ֣א תִֽהְיֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס
7This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing by a wall built with a plumb line, and in his hand was a plumb line.
כֹּ֣ה הִרְאַ֔נִי וְהִנֵּ֧ה אֲדֹנָ֛י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־חוֹמַ֣ת אֲנָ֑ךְ וּבְיָד֖וֹ אֲנָֽךְ׃
8And the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Amos?" I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲדֹנָ֗י הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ׃
9The high places of Isaac shall be laid waste and the sanctuaries of Israel shall lie in ruins, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ בָּמ֣וֹת יִשְׂחָ֔ק וּמִקְדְּשֵׁ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יֶחֱרָ֑בוּ וְקַמְתִּ֛י עַל־בֵּ֥ית יָרָבְעָ֖ם בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ פ