One of the seven angels came and spoke to me. This was one of the angels that had the seven bowls. The angel said, “Come, and I will show you the punishment that will be given to the famous prostitute. She is the one sitting over many waters.
Then the angel said to me, “You saw the waters where the prostitute sits. These waters are the many peoples, the different races, nations, and languages in the world.
I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places. I will give you those hidden treasures. Then you will know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
So this is what the Lord says: “I will defend you, Judah. I will make sure that Babylon is punished. I will dry up Babylon’s sea. And I will make her water springs become dry.
They threw dust on their heads and cried loudly to show the deep sorrow they felt. They said, ‘Terrible! How terrible for the great city! All those who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour!
These false teachers only want your money. So they will use you by telling you things that are not true. But the judgment against these false teachers has been ready for a long time. And they will not escape God who will destroy them.
He said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come to my people Israel. I will not ignore their sins anymore.
Sword, kill the horses and chariots of Babylon. Sword, kill all the soldiers hired from other countries. They will be like frightened women. Sword, destroy the treasures of Babylon. Those treasures will be taken away.
Kill all the young men in Babylon. Let them be slaughtered like bulls. How terrible for them that their day of defeat has come! It is time for them to be punished.
Sometimes a bird will hatch an egg that it did not lay. Those who cheat to get money are like that bird. But when their lives are half finished, they will lose the money. At the end of their lives, it will be clear that they were fools.”
The Lord, the Holy One of Israel, saves you, and he says, “I will send armies to Babylon for you. Many people will be captured. Those Chaldeans will be taken away in their own boats. (They are so proud of those boats.)
Israel’s evil greed made me angry, so I punished them. I turned away from them because I was angry. But they continued to do wrong. They did whatever they wanted.