| Chapter 24 |
1 | Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants of it. |
2 | 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 creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest to him. |
3 | The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for Yahweh has spoken this word. |
4 | The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the lofty people of the earth do languish. |
5 | The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants of it; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. |
6 | Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. |
7 | The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted do sigh. |
8 | The mirth of tambourines ceases, the noise of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases. |
9 | They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it. |
10 | The waste city is broken down; every house is shut up, that no man may come in. |
11 | There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. |
12 | In the city is left desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction. |
13 | For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive-tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done. |
14 | These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of Yahweh they cry aloud from the sea. |
15 | Why glorify you Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea. |
16 | From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous. But I said, I pine away, I pine away, woe is me! the treacherous have dealt treacherously; yes, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously. |
17 | Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, O inhabitant of the earth. |
18 | It shall happen, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. |
19 | The earth is utterly broken, the earth is torn apart, the earth is shaken violently. |
20 | The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway back and forth like a hammock; and the disobedience of it shall be heavy on it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. |
21 | It shall happen in that day, that Yahweh will punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. |
22 | 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; for Yahweh of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory. |