ey came at the bottom of the den.--Daniel vi.

THE PROPHET AMOS.

Amos, one of the earliest of the Hebrew prophets, flourished during the
reign of Uzziah, about 790 B.C., and was consequently a contemporary of
Hosea and Joel. In his youth he lived at Tekoa, about six miles south of
Bethlehem, in Judaea, and was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit
(Amos i, i; vii, 14). This occupation he gave up for that of prophet
(vii, 15), and he came forward to denounce the idolatry then prevalent in
Judah, Israel, and the surrounding kingdoms.

The first six chapters of his book contain his denunciations of idolatry;
the other three, his symbolical vision of the overthrow of the people of
Israel, and a promise of their restoration. The style is remarkable for
clearness and strength, and for its picturesque use of images drawn from
the rural and pastoral life which the prophet had led in his youth.

JONAH CALLING NINEVEH TO REPENTANCE.

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise,
go unto to Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching
that I bid thee.

So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.
Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah
began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on
sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word
came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid
his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And
he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree
of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor
flock taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and
beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them
turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their
hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his
fierce anger, that we perish not?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God
repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he
did it not.--Jonah iii.

DANIEL CONFOUNDING THE PRIESTS OF BEL.

Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel: and there were spent upon him
ever