Judgment on Israel

1I saw a vision of the LORD

standing by the temple altar,9.1 the temple altar: The one at Bethel.

and he said,

“Shake the columns

until the tops fall loose,

and the doorposts crumble.

Then make the pieces fall

on the people below.

I will take a sword and kill

anyone who escapes.

2“If they dig deep into the earth

or climb to the sky,

I'll reach out and get them.

3If they escape to the peaks

of Mount Carmel,

I'll search and find them.

And if they hide from me

at the bottom of the ocean,

I'll command a sea monster

to bite them.

4I'll send a sword to kill them,

wherever their enemies

drag them off as captives.

I'm determined to hurt them,

not to help them.”

His name is the LORD

5When the LORD God All-Powerful

touches the earth, it melts,

and its people mourn.

God makes the earth rise

and then fall,

just like the River Nile.

6He built his palace in the heavens

and let its foundations

rest on the earth.9.6 He built…earth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

He scoops up the ocean

and empties it on the earth.

His name is the LORD.

The LORD is God

7Israel, I am the LORD God,

and the Ethiopians9.7 Ethiopians: The Hebrew text has “people of Cush”, which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.

are no less important to me

than you are.

I brought you out of Egypt,

but I also brought

the Philistines from Crete9.7 Crete: Hebrew “Caphtor”.

and the Arameans from Kir.9.7 Philistines…Arameans from Kir: The Philistines were Israel's enemies to the west, and the Arameans were enemies to the north-east. For Kir, see the note at 1.5.

8My eyes have seen

what a sinful nation you are,

and I'll wipe you out.

But I will leave a few

of Jacob's descendants.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

9At my command, all of you

will be sifted like grain.

Israelites who remain faithful

will be scattered

among the nations.

And the others will be trapped

like rubbish in a sieve.

10Some of you are evil,

and you deny

that you will ever get caught.

But you will be killed.

Israel's bright future

The LORD's promise to Israel

11In the future, I will rebuild9.11,12: Ac 15.16-18.

David's fallen kingdom.

I will build it from its ruins

and set it up again,

just as it used to be.

12Then you will capture Edom

and the other nations

that are mine.

I, the LORD, have spoken,

and my words will come true.

13You will have such a harvest

that you won't be able

to bring in all your wheat

before ploughing time.

You will have grapes left over

from season to season;

your fruitful vineyards

will cover the mountains.

14I'll make Israel prosper again.

You will rebuild your towns

and live in them.

You will drink wine

from your own vineyards

and eat the fruit you grow.

15I'll plant your roots deep

in the land I have given you,

and you won't ever

be uprooted again.

I, the LORD God, have spoken!