God's Judgment on the Earth

1Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2And 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. 3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD has spoken this word. 4The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

7The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry hearted do sigh.

8The mirth of tabrets ceases, the noise of them that rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases.

9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

12In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13When thus it shall be in the middle 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.

14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15Why glorify you the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

16From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yes, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, O inhabitant of the earth.

18And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that comes up out of the middle 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.

19The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

20The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy on it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21And 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 on the earth.

22And 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.

23Then 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.