12. Let Egypt howl from its very foundations because of the plague of beating and punishment inflicted by the Lord.
13. Let the farmers who work the ground howl, because they won’t have enough seed, and their trees will be devastated by blight, hail, and terrible storms.
14. How terrible it will be for the world and those who live in it!
15. The sword and distress draw near, and nation will rise against nation to fight with spears in their hands.
16. Human beings won’t be able to trust each other. As they grow strong against each other, they will pay no respect to their king or to the powerful chief of their great men.
17. Someone will want to go into the city and won’t be able.
18. Cities will be thrown into confusion because of their pride. Houses will be destroyed; people will be afraid.
19. People will have no mercy on their neighbors. They will cause their neighbors trouble by breaking into their houses with swords, to pillage their property, because they are hungry for bread and in great distress.
20. Look, says the Lord, I am calling together all the kings of the earth, those from the north and from the south, from the east and from Lebanon. I am stirring them up to make them return and restore whatever my people gave them.
21. As they have done to my chosen ones even to this very day, so I will do to them: they will suffer full payback. This is what the Lord God says:
22. My strong hand won’t spare sinners, nor will my sword stop fighting against those who spill innocent blood on earth.
23. God’s anger has gone forth like fire to devour the earth’s foundations and sinners like kindled straw.
24. How terrible it will be for those who sin and don’t keep my laws, says the Lord.
25. I won’t spare them. Go away, faithless children! Don’t defile my sanctuary!
26. God knows all who sin against him. Therefore, he will hand them over to death and slaughter.
27. Even now disasters have swept over the world, and you will have to endure them. God won’t deliver you because you sinned against him.