Judgement on the Whole Earth

1Behold, the LORD will empty the earth24:1 Or land; also throughout this chapter and make it desolate,

and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

2And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;

as with the slave, 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.

3The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;

for the LORD has spoken this word.

4The earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and withers;

the highest people of the earth languish.

5The earth lies defiled

under its inhabitants;

for they have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes,

broken the everlasting covenant.

6Therefore a curse devours the earth,

and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;

therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,

and few men are left.

7The wine mourns,

the vine languishes,

all the merry-hearted sigh.

8The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,

the noise of the jubilant has ceased,

the mirth of the lyre is stilled.

9No more do they drink wine with singing;

strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

10The wasted city is broken down;

every house is shut up so that none can enter.

11There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;

all joy has grown dark;

the gladness of the earth is banished.

12Desolation is left in the city;

the gates are battered into ruins.

13For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth

among the nations,

as when an olive tree is beaten,

as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.

14They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;

over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.24:14 Hebrew from the sea

15Therefore in the east24:15 Hebrew in the realm of light or with the fires give glory to the LORD;

in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

16From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,

of glory to the Righteous One.

But I say, “I waste away,

I waste away. Woe is me!

For the traitors have betrayed,

with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.”

17Terror and the pit and the snare24:17 The Hebrew words for terror, pit, and snare sound alike

are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!

18He who flees at the sound of the terror

shall fall into the pit,

and he who climbs out of the pit

shall be caught in the snare.

For the windows of heaven are opened,

and the foundations of the earth tremble.

19The earth is utterly broken,

the earth is split apart,

the earth is violently shaken.

20The earth staggers like a drunken man;

it sways like a hut;

its transgression lies heavy upon it,

and it falls, and will not rise again.

21On that day the LORD will punish

the host of heaven, in heaven,

and the kings of the earth, on the earth.

22They will be gathered together

as prisoners in a pit;

they will be shut up in a prison,

and after many days they will be punished.

23Then the moon will be confounded

and the sun ashamed,

for the LORD of hosts reigns

on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,

and his glory will be before his elders.