24:1 Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants of it.

24:2 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.

24:3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for Yahweh has spoken this word.

24:4 The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the lofty people of the earth do languish.

24:5 The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants of it; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

24:6 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.

24:7 The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted do sigh.

24:8 The mirth of tambourines ceases, the noise of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases.

24:9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.

24:10 The waste city is broken down; every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

24:11 There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

24:12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction.

24:13 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.

24:14 These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of Yahweh they cry aloud from the sea.

24:15 Why glorify you Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.

24:16 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.

24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, O inhabitant of the earth.

24:18 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.

24:19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is torn apart, the earth is shaken violently.

24:20 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.

24:21 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.

24:22 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.