Judgment on the Whole Earth

24 Behold, cthe Lord will empty the earth1 and make it desolate,

and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

2  dAnd it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;

as with the slave, so with his master;

as with the maid, so with her mistress;

eas with the buyer, so with the seller;

as with the lender, so with the borrower;

fas with the creditor, so with the debtor.

3  gThe earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;

hfor the Lord has spoken this word.

4  iThe earth mourns and withers;

the world languishes and withers;

the highest people of the earth languish.

5  The earth lies jdefiled

under its inhabitants;

for kthey have transgressed the laws,

violated the statutes,

broken the everlasting covenant.

6  Therefore la curse devours the earth,

and its inhabitants msuffer for their guilt;

therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,

and few men are left.

7  nThe wine mourns,

the vine languishes,

all the merry-hearted sigh.

8  oThe mirth of the tambourines is stilled,

the noise of the jubilant has ceased,

the mirth of the lyre is stilled.

9  No more do they drink wine pwith singing;

strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

10  qThe wasted city is broken down;

revery house is shut up so that none can enter.

11  sThere is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;

tall joy has grown dark;

the gladness of the earth is banished.

12  Desolation is left in the city;

the gates are battered into ruins.