1. Look! The Lord will devastate the earth and destroy it,will twist its face and scatter its inhabitants.
2. It will be the same for the people and for the priest;for the slave and for his master;for the female servant and for her mistress;for the buyer and for the seller;for the lender and for the borrower;for the creditor and for the debtor.
3. The earth will be devastated, totally devastated;it will be destroyed, completely destroyedbecause the Lord has said it would be so.
4. The earth dries up and wilts;the world withers and wilts;the heavens wither away with the earth.
5. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants,for they have disobeyed instruction,swept aside law,and broken the ancient covenant.
6. Therefore, a curse devours the earth; its inhabitants suffer for their guilt.Therefore, the earth’s inhabitants dwindle; very few are left.
7. The wine dries up;the vine withers;all the merry-hearted groan.
8. The joyous tambourines have ceased;the roar of partyers has stopped;the joyous harp has ceased.
9. No one drinks wine or sings;beer is bitter to its drinkers.
10. The town is in chaos, broken;every house is shut, without entrance.
11. There is a cry for wine in the streets.All joy has reached its dusk;happiness is exiled from the earth.
12. Ruin remains in the city,and the gate is battered to wreckage.
13. It will be like this in the central part of the land and among the peoples,like an olive tree that has been shaken,like remains from the grape harvest.
14. They raise their voice;they sing with joy;from the west they will shout about the Lord’s majesty.
15. Therefore, in the east honor the Lord;in the islands of the sea,the name of the Lord God of Israel!