Amos 7:17

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.

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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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 soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”
KJV: 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.
WEB: Therefore the LORD says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”
ASV: therefore thus saith Jehovah: Thy wife shall be a 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 thyself shalt die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.
DARBY: Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided with the line; and thou shalt die in a land that is unclean; and Israel shall certainly go into captivity, out of his land.
BLB: Therefore, thus says YHWH: ‘Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. And your land will be divided by a line and You will die in an unclean land, and Israel will surely go into exile away from his land!’”

ÅB: Derfor sier Herren så: Din hustru skal drive hor i byen, og dine sønner og døtre skal falle for sverdet, og din jord skal deles med målesnor, og du selv skal dø i et urent land, og Israel skal bli bortført fra sitt land.
OTB: Derfor er dette hva Herren sier:
‘Din kone skal bli en prostituert i byen,
dine sønner og døtre skal falle for sverdet,
ditt land skal deles opp med en målesnor,
og du selv skal dø på uren jord.
Og Israel skal sikkert gå i eksil, bort fra sitt land.’”
B1930: Derfor sier Herren så: Din hustru skal drive hor i byen, og dine sønner og døtre skal falle for sverdet, og din jord skal deles med målesnor, og du selv skal dø i et urent land, og Israel skal bli bortført fra sitt land.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Hosea 9:3
They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
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2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
Read in context
Ezekiel 4:13
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
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Jeremiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
Read in context
Hosea 4:13–14
They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
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Amos 7:11
For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land.
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Jeremiah 29:31–32
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Read in context
Isaiah 13:16
Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
Read in context