1 B ehold, the Lord will make the land and the earth empty and make it waste and turn it upside down (twist the face of it) and scatter abroad its inhabitants.

See, the Lord will lay the earth waste. He will destroy it, turn its ground up-side-down, and send its people everywhere.

2 A nd 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 creditor, so with the debtor.

What happens to the people will happen to the religious leader. What happens to the man servant will happen to his owner. The woman servant will be like her owner. The buyer will be like the seller. The giver will be like the receiver. The one who lets another use his money will be like the one who uses it.

3 T he land and the earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly pillaged; for the Lord has said this.

All the earth will be laid waste and destroyed, for the Lord has said this.

4 T he land and the earth mourn and wither, the world languishes and withers, the high ones of the people languish.

The earth cries in sorrow and wastes away. The world becomes weak with sorrow and wastes away, together with the honored people of the earth.

5 T he land and the earth also are defiled by their inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, disregarded the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant.

The earth has been made unclean by its people. They have sinned and not obeyed the laws, and have broken the agreement that was to be forever.

6 T herefore a curse devours the land and the earth, and they who dwell in it suffer the punishment of their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the land and the earth are scorched and parched, and few people are left.

So the earth is cursed and those who live in it suffer for their guilt. So the people of the earth are burned, and few men are left.

7 T he new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all the merrymakers sigh.

The new wine dries up and the vine wastes away. All the glad in heart are in sorrow.

8 T he mirth of the timbrels is stilled, the noise of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the lyre is stopped.

The happiness of the music-makers stops. The noise of those filled with joy stops. The happiness of the harp stops.

9 N o more will they drink wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it.

They do not drink wine with singing. Strong drink tastes bad to those who drink it.

10 T he wasted city of emptiness and confusion is broken down; every house is shut up so that no one may enter.

The city of trouble is broken down. Every house is shut up so no one may go in.

11 T here is crying in the streets for wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is banished and gone into captivity.

There is a crying out in the streets about the wine. All joy turns to darkness. The happiness of the earth is gone.

12 I n the city is left desolation, and its gate is battered and destroyed.

The city is laid waste. The gate is broken to pieces.

13 F or so shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking and beating of an olive tree, or as the gleaning when the vintage is done.

For this is how it will be on the earth among the nations. It will be like the shaking of an olive tree, and like what is left after the grapes have been gathered.

14 t hese lift up their voices, they shout; for the majesty of the Lord they cry aloud from the Sea.

They raise their voices. They call out for joy. They cry out from the west about the wonderful power of the Lord.

15 W herefore glorify the Lord in the east; the name of the Lord, the God of Israel in the isles and coasts of the Sea.

So honor the Lord in the east. Honor the name of the Lord God of Israel in the islands of the sea.

16 F rom the uttermost parts of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the Righteous One! But I say, Emaciated I pine away, I pine away. Woe is me! The treacherous dealers deal treacherously! Yes, the treacherous dealers deal very treacherously.

From the ends of the earth we hear songs: “Praise the One Who is right and good.” But I say, “I waste away! I waste away! It is bad for me! The false ones are not faithful. Yes, their way is very false.”

17 T error and pit and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!

Fear and the deep hole and the trap are before you, O people of the earth.

18 A nd he who flees at the noise of the terror will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of the heavens are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble and shake.

He who runs from the news of trouble will fall into a deep hole. And he who comes out of the hole will be caught in a trap. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the earth shakes.

19 T he earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently.

The earth is broken in pieces. The earth is torn apart. The earth is very shaken.

20 T he earth shall stagger like a drunken man and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; its transgression shall lie heavily upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again.

The earth turns from one side to the other side like a drunk man. It shakes like a tent because its sin is heavy upon it. It will fall, never to rise again.

21 A nd in that day the Lord will visit and punish the host of the high ones on high and the kings of the earth on the earth.

In that day the Lord will punish the powers of heaven above, and the kings of the earth below.

22 A nd they will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in a pit or dungeon; they will be shut up in prison, and after many days they will be visited, inspected, and punished or pardoned.

They will be gathered together like those in a prison. They will be kept in a deep, dark prison, and after many days they will be punished.

23 T hen the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts, Who will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will show forth His glory.

Then the moon will be dark and the sun will not shine, for the Lord of All will rule on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. And in front of His leaders, He will let His shining-greatness be seen.