24:1 See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants–
24:2 it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.
24:3 The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.
24:4 The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish.
24:5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.
24:6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.
24:7 The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan.
24:8 The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.
24:9 No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers.
24:10 The ruined city lies desolate; the entrance to every house is barred.
24:11 In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth.
24:12 The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces.
24:13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
24:14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD’S majesty.
24:15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!”
24:17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth.
24:18 Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.
24:20 The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls–never to rise again.
24:21 In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
24:22 They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.
24:23 The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously.
24:1 Jehovah now makes the earth desolate and lays it waste; He distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants:
24:2 As it is with the people, so will it be with the priest; / As it is with the servant, so will it be with the master; / As it is with the maid, so will it be with the mistress; / As it is with the buyer, so will it be with the seller; / As it is with the lender, so will it be with the borrower; / As it is with the creditor, so will it be with him to whom he gives credit.
24:3 The earth will be utterly desolated / And utterly spoiled, / For Jehovah has spoken this word.
24:4 The earth dries up and fades away; / The world languishes and fades away; / The exalted of the people of the earth languish.
24:5 And the earth is polluted under the weight of its inhabitants; / For they have transgressed laws, they have violated statutes, / They have broken an eternal covenant.
24:6 Therefore a curse devours the earth / And the inhabitants of it are held guilty; / Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, / And few men are left.
24:7 The new wine mourns; the vine languishes; / All the merryhearted sigh.
24:8 The mirth of the tambourines ceases; / The noise of those who exult stops; / The mirth of the lyre ceases.
24:9 Men do not drink wine in song; / Liquor is bitter to those who drink it.
24:10 The city of chaos is broken down; / Every house is shut up that none may enter.
24:11 A cry for wine is in the streets; / All joy is darkened; / The mirth of the land is departed.
24:12 In the city desolation remains, / And the gate is crushed to ruins.
24:13 For thus will it be in the midst of the earth, / Among the peoples: / Like the shaking of an olive tree, / Like the gleanings when the grape harvest is completed.
24:14 They will lift up their voice; they will give a ringing shout; / Because of the majesty of Jehovah they will cry out from the west.
24:15 Therefore in the east glorify Jehovah, / Even the name of Jehovah the God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.
24:16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs: / Glory to the righteous One! / But I say, Leanness to me! Leanness to me! Woe to me! / The unfaithful deal unfaithfully! / Indeed the unfaithful deal most unfaithfully!
24:17 Dread, pit, and snare / Are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.
24:18 And he who flees from the sound of dread / Will fall into the pit, / And he who comes up out of the pit / Will be taken in the snare; / For the windows from on high are open, / And the foundations of the earth shake.
24:19 The earth is broken asunder; / The earth is split through and through; / The earth is shaken violently.
24:20 The earth staggers back and forth like a drunkard / And sways about like a field hut. / And its transgression weighs heavily upon it; / It will fall and will not rise again.
24:21 And in that day Jehovah will punish / On high the host on high, / And the kings of the earth on the earth.
24:22 And they will be gathered together, / Like prisoners gathered in a dungeon; / And will be shut up in prison, / And after many days they will be punished.
24:23 Then the moon will be abashed, and the sun will be ashamed; / For Jehovah of hosts will reign / In Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, / And His glory will be before His elders.