Amaziah

10Amaziah was the priest at Bethel, a leader who served at the worship place there. He sent a message to Jeroboam, the king of Israel. He said, "Amos is making plans against you right here in Israel. The land cannot put up with everything he says.

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel 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.

NoteBethel was a town in Israel with a famous worship place. The king paid for it, so it mattered a lot. Amaziah was the priest in charge there.

11Here is what Amos has been saying: 'Jeroboam will die by the sword. And Israel will surely be taken away from their own land as prisoners.'"

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

NoteBeing taken captive meant enemy soldiers marched people away. They had to leave home and live in a strange country. This happened to whole nations back then.

12Amaziah also said to Amos, "Go away, you seer! Run off to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there. Do your speaking for God there.

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

NoteA seer was another name for a prophet. It means someone who sees what God shows him. Amaziah used the word to make fun of Amos. "Eat bread there" means earn your food there. He was telling Amos to go get paid somewhere else.

13But never speak for God at Bethel again. This is the king's own worship place. This is the temple of the kingdom."

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

NoteThe King James calls Bethel "the king's chapel." A chapel here means a worship place, not a little church. This one belonged to the king himself.

14Then Amos answered Amaziah. He said, "I was not a prophet, someone trained to speak God's words. My father was not a prophet either. I took care of animals. I also picked figs from sycamore trees.

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:

Note"A prophet's son" did not always mean a real son. Prophets taught young men, and those students were called their sons. Amos was saying he had no training at all. Sycamore figs grow on big trees. Workers had to pinch each fig so it would ripen. It was hot, hard work for little pay.

15But the LORD took me away from following my sheep. The LORD said to me, 'Go and speak my words to my people Israel.'

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

16So now listen to what the LORD says. You tell me, 'Do not speak against Israel. Do not say a word against Isaac's family.'

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.

17So this is what the LORD says. 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city. Your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword. Your land will be measured out and split up. And you will die in an unclean land, far from home. Israel will surely be taken away from their own land as prisoners.'

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.

NoteA prostitute is a woman men pay to use her body. It was a sad and shameful life. This is what happened to women when an army took a city. A measuring line was a long rope. Winners used it to measure captured land and split it up. "A polluted land" means a foreign country far from home.