24 Understand this! The Lord is ready to destroy the earth. It will become a desert. He will spoil the ground. He will chase away all the people who live on it.
2 It will be the same for all people:
priests as well as ordinary people,
masters as well as their servants,
rich ladies as well as their servant girls,
sellers as well as buyers,
people who lend money as well as those who borrow it,
rich people as well as poor people.
3 The whole earth will become empty. Nothing will remain. The Lord has said that this punishment will certainly happen.
4 The earth becomes dry and all the plants die. The whole world becomes weak and helpless. Its important people also become weak.
5 The people who live on the earth have caused it to become unclean.
They have not obeyed God's laws.
They have turned against his teaching.
They have not obeyed the covenant that God made with them for ever.
6 That is why a curse is destroying the land. The people who live on it are guilty and God is punishing them. They become fewer and fewer. Only a very few of them remain.
7 There is no new wine and the vines are dying. The people who were happy to drink the wine are now sad. 8 The happy sound of tambourines has stopped. The noise from parties has finished. The harps no longer make any happy music. 9 People cannot drink wine, so they do not sing. When people drink beer, it seems bitter.
10 The city has become so spoiled that it is useless. People have locked their houses so that nobody can go in. 11 They shout in the streets because they have no wine. Nobody is happy any more, anywhere on the earth.
12 The city has become a heap of stones. Its gates lie in pieces on the ground.
13 This is what will happen among all the nations on the earth. Only a few people will remain, like a few olives that remain on a tree after the harvest. After people have picked the grapes off a vine, there are only a few that remain.
14 Those people who are still alive sing aloud because they are happy. People who live in the west praise the Lord because he is great. 15 So people who live in the east should praise the Lord too. People who live on the coast of the sea will also praise the name of the Lord , Israel's God. 16 From every part of the earth, we hear songs. People sing to praise the Righteous One.
But I say, ‘I have become very weak and thin! It will be very bad for me! Evil people are turning against their friends. They deceive people more and more!’
17 People everywhere on the earth, terror is ready to catch you! You will fall into a deep hole, and a trap will catch you! 18 Anyone who runs away from the sound of the terror will fall into the deep hole. The trap will catch anyone who climbs out of the big hole. God has opened the windows of the sky. He has caused the foundations of the earth to shake.
19 The earth has become broken into many pieces. It has torn apart. It is shaking powerfully. 20 The earth is like a drunk man. It cannot walk in a straight line. It moves in all directions, like a tent in a storm. The people's sins are like a heavy weight on the earth. It cannot carry them and it will fall. It will never be able to get up again.
21 At that time, the Lord will punish the powerful beings in the skies above. He will punish the kings who rule on the earth below. 22 He will bring them together like prisoners in a deep hole. That will be their prison. They will be there for a time, and then he will come to punish them.
23 The moon will hide its face in shame. The bright light of the sun will become dark. Yes, the Lord Almighty will become king on Mount Zion. He will rule with great power in Jerusalem. The leaders of the people will see his great glory.
24 Look, the Lord is destroying this land. [ a ] He will clean out the land completely and force all the people to go far away. 2 At that time whatever happens to the common people will also happen to the priests. Slaves and masters will be the same. Women slaves and their women masters will be the same. Buyers and sellers will be the same. Those who borrow and those who lend will be the same. Bankers and those who owe the bank will be the same. 3 Everyone will be forced out of the land. All the wealth will be taken. This will happen because the Lord commanded it. 4 The country will be empty and sad. The world will be empty and weak. The great leaders of the people in this land will become weak.
5 The people have ruined the land. They did what God said was wrong. They did not obey God’s laws. They made an agreement with God a long time ago, but they broke their agreement with God. 6 The people living in this land are guilty of doing wrong, so God promised to destroy the land. The people will be punished, and only a few of them will survive.
7 The grapevines are dying. The new wine is bad. People who were happy are now sad. 8 They have stopped showing their joy. The happy music from the drums and harps has ended. 9 They no longer sing as they drink their wine. The beer now tastes bitter to those who drink it.
10 “Total Confusion” is a good name for this city. The city has been destroyed. People cannot enter the houses. The doors are blocked. 11 People still ask for wine in the marketplaces, but all the joy is gone. It was carried off with everything else. 12 All that is left is destruction. Even the gates are crushed.
13 At harvest time, people knock olives from the trees.
But a few olives are left in the trees.
It will be like that in this land and among the nations.
14 Those who are left will begin shouting louder than the ocean.
They will rejoice about the Lord ’s greatness.
15 They will say, “People in the east, praise the Lord !
People in faraway lands,
praise the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.”
16 We hear songs of praise for God from every place on earth.
They praise the God who does what is right.
But I say, “Enough!
I have had enough.
What I see is terrible.
Traitors are turning against people and hurting them.”
17 I see troubles for you people living in this land.
I see fear, pits, and problems all around.
18 People will hear about the danger,
and they will be afraid.
Some of them will run away,
but they will fall into holes and be trapped.
Some of them will climb out of the holes,
but they will be caught in another trap.
The floodgates in the sky above will open,
and the floods will begin.
The foundations of the earth will shake.
19 There will be earthquakes,
and the earth will split open.
20 The sins of the world are very heavy,
so the earth will fall under the weight.
It will shake like an old house.
It will fall like a drunk.
It will not be able to stand.
21 At that time the Lord will judge
the heavenly armies in heaven
and the earthly kings on earth.
22 Many people will be gathered together.
They have been locked in the Pit.
They have been in prison. [ b ]
But finally, after a long time, they will be judged.
23 The Lord will rule as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
His Glory will be shown to the city leaders with such brightness that
the moon will be embarrassed
and the sun will be ashamed.
24 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 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 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 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 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
13 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 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord , they shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
16 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 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 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 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 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 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 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 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.
24 Behold, the Lord ( A ) lays the earth waste, devastates it, twists its surface, and scatters its inhabitants. 2 And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the female servant like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the ( B ) creditor like the debtor. 3 The earth will be completely laid waste and completely plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. 4 The ( C ) earth dries up and crumbles away, the mainland dries out and crumbles away, the ( D ) exalted of the people of the earth dwindle. 5 The earth is also ( E ) defiled [ a ] by its inhabitants, for they violated laws, altered statutes, and ( F ) broke the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore, a ( G ) curse devours the earth, and those who live on it suffer for their guilt. Therefore, the ( H ) inhabitants of the earth decrease in number, and few people are left.
7 The ( I ) new wine mourns,
The vine decays,
All the joyful-hearted sigh.
8 The ( J ) joy of tambourines ceases,
The noise of revelers stops,
The joy of the harp ceases.
9 They do not drink wine with song;
( K ) Intoxicating drink is ( L ) bitter to those who drink it.
10 The ( M ) city of chaos is broken down;
( N ) Every house is shut up so that no one may enter.
11 There is an ( O ) outcry in the streets concerning the wine;
( P ) All joy [ b ] turns to gloom.
The joy of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city
And the ( Q ) gate is battered to ruins.
13 For ( R ) so it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,
As the [ c ] shaking of an olive tree,
As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.
14 ( S ) They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
They cry out from the [ d ] west concerning the majesty of the Lord .
15 Therefore ( T ) glorify the Lord in the [ e ] east,
The ( U ) name of the Lord , the God of Israel,
In the [ f ] ( V ) coastlands of the sea.
16 From the ( W ) ends of the earth we hear songs: “ ( X ) Glory to the Righteous One,”
But I say, “ [ g ] I am finished! I am finished! Woe to me!
The ( Y ) treacherous deal treacherously,
And the treacherous deal very treacherously.”
17 ( Z ) Terror and pit and snare
[ h ] Confront you, you inhabitant of the earth.
18 Then it will be that the one who flees the sound of terror will fall into the pit,
And the one who [ i ] climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare;
For the ( AA ) windows [ j ] above are opened, and the ( AB ) foundations of the earth shake.
19 ( AC ) The earth is broken apart,
The earth is ( AD ) split through,
The earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth ( AE ) trembles like a heavy drinker
And sways like a hut,
For its ( AF ) wrongdoing is heavy upon it,
And it will fall, ( AG ) never to rise again.
21 So it will happen on that day,
That the Lord will ( AH ) punish the rebellious [ k ] ( AI ) angels of [ l ] heaven on high,
And the ( AJ ) kings of the earth on earth.
22 They will be gathered together
Like ( AK ) prisoners in the [ m ] dungeon,
And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will ( AL ) be punished.
23 Then the ( AM ) moon will be ashamed and the sun be put to shame,
For the ( AN ) Lord of armies will reign on ( AO ) Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
And His glory will be before His elders.
24 See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth ( A )
and devastate ( B ) it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter ( C ) its inhabitants—
2 it will be the same
for priest as for people, ( D )
for the master as for his servant,
for the mistress as for her servant,
for seller as for buyer, ( E )
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor. ( F )
3 The earth will be completely laid waste ( G )
and totally plundered. ( H )
The Lord has spoken ( I ) this word.
4 The earth dries up ( J ) and withers, ( K )
the world languishes and withers,
the heavens ( L ) languish with the earth. ( M )
5 The earth is defiled ( N ) by its people;
they have disobeyed ( O ) the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant. ( P )
6 Therefore a curse ( Q ) consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, ( R )
and very few are left.
7 The new wine dries up ( S ) and the vine withers; ( T )
all the merrymakers groan. ( U )
8 The joyful timbrels ( V ) are stilled,
the noise ( W ) of the revelers ( X ) has stopped,
the joyful harp ( Y ) is silent. ( Z )
9 No longer do they drink wine ( AA ) with a song;
the beer is bitter ( AB ) to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city ( AC ) lies desolate; ( AD )
the entrance to every house is barred.
11 In the streets they cry out ( AE ) for wine; ( AF )
all joy turns to gloom, ( AG )
all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
12 The city is left in ruins, ( AH )
its gate ( AI ) is battered to pieces.
13 So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten, ( AJ )
or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest. ( AK )
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; ( AL )
from the west ( AM ) they acclaim the Lord ’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east ( AN ) give glory ( AO ) to the Lord ;
exalt ( AP ) the name ( AQ ) of the Lord , the God of Israel,
in the islands ( AR ) of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth ( AS ) we hear singing: ( AT )
“Glory ( AU ) to the Righteous One.” ( AV )
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away! ( AW )
Woe ( AX ) to me!
The treacherous ( AY ) betray!
With treachery the treacherous betray! ( AZ ) ”
17 Terror ( BA ) and pit and snare ( BB ) await you,
people of the earth. ( BC )
18 Whoever flees ( BD ) at the sound of terror
will fall into a pit; ( BE )
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare. ( BF )
The floodgates of the heavens ( BG ) are opened,
the foundations of the earth shake. ( BH )
19 The earth is broken up, ( BI )
the earth is split asunder, ( BJ )
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth reels like a drunkard, ( BK )
it sways like a hut ( BL ) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion ( BM )
that it falls ( BN ) —never to rise again. ( BO )
21 In that day ( BP ) the Lord will punish ( BQ )
the powers ( BR ) in the heavens above
and the kings ( BS ) on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
like prisoners ( BT ) bound in a dungeon; ( BU )
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished [ a ] after many days. ( BV )
23 The moon will be dismayed,
the sun ( BW ) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign ( BX )
on Mount Zion ( BY ) and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders—with great glory. ( BZ )
