1 Watch out! The Lord is going to destroy the earth, to make it totally devastated. He's going to rip up the surface of the earth and scatter its inhabitants. 2 It will happen the same for everybody—whether people or priests, servants or their masters, maids or their mistresses, buyers or sellers, lenders or borrowers, creditors or debtors. 3 The earth will be completely laid waste and looted. This is what the Lord has said.

4 The earth dries up and withers away; the world shrivels up and withers away, the high and mighty people* “The high and mighty people”: or, “the heavens.” shrivel up along with the earth. 5 The earth is polluted by its people; they have flouted God's laws, violated his regulations, and broken the eternal agreement with him. 6 That is why a curse is destroying the earth. The people suffer because of their guilt. The inhabitants of the earth are burned up and only a few survive. 7 The new wine dries up, and the vine withers. All the people celebrating groan. 8 The happy sound of tambourines is over; the noise of the party-goers has stopped; the delightful harp music has finished, 9 People don't sing any more as they drink wine, and the beer tastes bitter. 10 The chaotic city is falling apart; every house is barred shut to keep others out. 11 Crowds on the street are shouting, demanding to have wine. Joy turns into darkness. There's no happiness left on earth. 12 The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down. 13 This is the way it's going to be all throughout the earth among the nations—only a few olives are left after the tree is shaken, only a few grapes are left to be gleaned after the harvest.

14 These survivors shout aloud and sing for joy. From the west they praise the Lord's majesty. 15 From the east they glorify the Lord; from the sea shores they praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 16 We hear songs coming from the ends of the earth, singing, “Glory to the God who does right.”

But I'm miserable, miserable. Pity me! Deceitful people go on betraying, again and again.† In the Hebrew this line is literally, “The treacherous deal treacherously, with treachery the treacherous deal treacherously.” 17 Terrors and pit-traps and snares are waiting for you, people of the earth. 18 Those who run away in terror will fall into a pit-trap, and those who escape from the pit-trap will be caught in a snare. Heaven's windows‡ “Heaven's windows”: usually associated with rainfall/floods. are opened; earth's foundations shake. 19 The earth is completely broken up; the earth is ripped apart, the earth is violently shaken. 20 The earth staggers to and fro like a drunk, and sways this way and that like a shelter. The guilt of its rebelliousness weighs heavily on it, and it collapses—it won't rise again.

21 At that time the Lord will punish all the high heavenly beings and the kings of the earth. 22 They will be brought together, prisoners in a pit. They will be imprisoned, and eventually they will be punished. 23 The moon will be embarrassed and the sun will be ashamed,§ Because their light will seem so dim in comparison to the Lord's glory. for the Lord Almighty will reign in glory on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem in the presence of its leaders.