1 B ehold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.

Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

2 A nd the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.

And 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.

3 T he earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word.

The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

4 T he earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away.

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

5 T he earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

6 T herefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.

Therefore 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.

7 T he new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh.

The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

8 T he gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases.

The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

9 T hey do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10 T he city of chaos is broken down; Every house is shut up so that none may enter.

The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11 T here is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished.

There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

12 D esolation is left in the city And the gate is battered to ruins.

In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13 F or thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, As the shaking of an olive tree, As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.

When 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.

14 T hey raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the Lord.

They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15 T herefore glorify the Lord in the east, The name of the Lord, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea.

Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

16 F rom the ends of the earth we hear songs, “ Glory to the Righteous One,” But I say, “ Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me! The treacherous deal treacherously, And the treacherous deal very treacherously.”

From 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.

17 T error and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

18 T hen it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.

And 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.

19 T he earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently.

The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

20 T he earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.

The 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.

21 S o it will happen in that day, That the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth.

And 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.

22 T hey will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished.

And 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.

23 T hen the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.

Then 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.