1Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.2And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.4The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.7The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.10The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.12In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.13When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.15Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.16From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.18And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.19The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.20The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.21And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.22And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
1The LORD is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He’ll scatter those who live on it.2Priests and people alike will suffer. So will masters and their servants. And so will women and their female servants. Sellers and buyers alike will suffer. So will those who borrow and those who lend. And so will those who owe money and those who lend it.3The earth will be completely destroyed. Everything of value will be taken out of it. That’s what the LORD has said.4The earth will dry up completely. The world will dry up and waste away. The heavens will fade away along with the earth.5The earth is polluted by its people. They haven’t obeyed the laws of the LORD. They haven’t done what he told them to do. They’ve broken the covenant that will last for ever.6So the LORD will send a curse on the earth. Its people will pay for what they’ve done. They will be burned up. Very few of them will be left.7The vines and fresh wine will dry up completely. Those who used to have a good time will groan.8The happy sounds of tambourines will be gone. The noise of those who enjoy wild parties will stop. The joyful music of harps will become silent.9People will no longer sing as they drink wine. Beer will taste bitter to those who drink it.10Destroyed cities will lie empty. People will lock themselves inside their houses.11In the streets people will cry out for wine. All joy will turn into sadness. All joyful sounds will be driven out of the earth.12All the buildings will be knocked down. Every city gate will be smashed to pieces.13That’s how it will be on the earth. And that’s how it will be among the nations. It will be as when workers knock all but a few olives off the trees. It will be like a vine that has only a few grapes left after the harvest.14Those who are left alive will shout for joy. People from the west will praise the LORD because he is the King.15So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honour the name of the LORD, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel.16From one end of the earth to the other we hear singing. People are saying, ‘Give glory to the God who always does what is right.’ But I said, ‘I feel very bad. I’m getting weaker and weaker. How terrible it is for me! People turn against one another. They can’t be trusted. So they turn against one another.’17Listen, you people of the earth. Terror, a pit and a trap are waiting for you.18Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The LORD will open the windows of the skies. He will flood the land. The foundations of the earth will shake.19The earth will be broken up. It will split open. It will be shaken to pieces.20The earth will be unsteady like someone who is drunk. It will sway like a tent in the wind. Its sin will weigh so heavily on it that it will fall. It will never get up again.21At that time the LORD will punish the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens above. He will also punish the kings on the earth below.22They will be brought together like prisoners in chains. They’ll be locked up in prison. After many days the LORD will punish them.23The LORD who rules over all will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The elders of the city will be there. They will see his great glory. His rule will be so glorious that the sun and moon will be too ashamed to shine.