For a change, life in the northern kingdom of Israel was good. The country was strong. Israel's many enemies were weak. And, for some, there was plenty of money to be made.

At Bethel, which was now the capital of Israel, the temple had never been busier. There seemed to be a never-ending procession of people bringing sacrifices and offerings of gold and silver. The temple courtyards were full of prophets, declaring God's messages to the people.

One of these prophets was Amos. A shepherd from just outside Bethlehem in the southern kingdom of Judah. Amos believed that he had been sent by God with a special message for the people of Israel.

"This is what the Lord says," began Amos, and he continued by predicting disaster ahead for all of Israel's closest enemies.

"I will break down the gate of Damascus. I will send fires upon the walls of Gaza. I will destroy the ruler of Moab."

The people of Israel cheered each of these predictions. But their cheers quickly turned to gasps when Amos announced,

"Hear this word the Lord God has spoken against you, O people of Israel."

In stunned silence, the people listened as Amos listed God's complaints against them,

"You walk on poor people like they are dirt. You buy and sell them for the price of a pair of sandals. In your courts, you take bribes and keep the poor from getting justice. You businessmen, you change your scales to cheat the poor. You charge them more and more and give them less and less."

God wasn't even pleased by the offerings which they made.

"I don't want your offerings, I want you to do what's right. You only offer sacrifices because you love boasting about it afterwards, lying about, drunk, on couches bought with the money which you stole."

Then Amos made a terrible prediction, "Your days of lying around, doing nothing are about to end, says the Lord. One of your enemies will come against you. Your holy places will be destroyed. Your king and his family will be killed and you will be led away to a foreign country."

Amongst the people was Amaziah, the priest of Bethel. Amos' words had made him very angry and he had sent an urgent message to the king.

He shouted to Amos.

"Go back home, and try making a living there, prophet. We don't need you here in Bethel. This is our holy place and nothing to do with you."

Amos replied. "I'm not a professional prophet. I'm a shepherd. God sent me to Bethel to give you this message, and I haven't finished."

But the rest of Amos' message from God wasn't as bad as the first part.

"The Lord God says I will bring my people back from captivity. They will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens, and drink wine and eat fruit. And, never again, will they be pulled out of the land which I have given them."

Having delivered his message, Amos may have been arrested by the king's soldiers and executed. Or, he may have escaped from Israel and returned home to look after his flocks.

We don't know what happened to Amos, but we do know that about seventy years after he visited Israel, the message which he gave, came true. The Assyrians attacked and destroyed Israel. The king was killed and many of the people were sent as slaves to foreign countries. But, in time, as Amos had predicted, their descendants returned to re-claim the land.