1. The Lord and King gave me a vision. He was bringing large numbers of locusts on the land. The king's share of the first crop had already been harvested. Now the second crop was coming up.
2. The locusts stripped the land clean. Then I cried out, "Lord and King, forgive Israel! How can Jacob's people continue? They are such a weak nation!"
3. So the Lord had pity on them. "I will let them continue for now," he said.
4. The Lord and King gave me a second vision. He was using fire to punish his people. It dried up the deep waters. It burned the land up.
5. Then I cried out, "Lord and King, please stop! How can Jacob's people continue? They are such a weak nation!"
6. So the Lord had pity on them. "I will let them continue for now," the Lord and King said.
7. Then the Lord gave me a third vision. He was standing by a wall. It had been built very straight, all the way up and down. He was holding a plumb line.
8. The Lord asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look at what I am doing. I am hanging a plumb line next to my people Israel. It will show how crooked they are. I will no longer spare them.