1 The Lord is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, 2 including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor. 3 The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the Lord has promised.

4 The earth wilts away;

its mighty leaders melt

to nothing.*

5 The earth is polluted

because its people

disobeyed the laws of God,

breaking their agreement

that was to last forever.

6 The earth is under a curse;

its people are dying out

because of their sins.

7 Grapevines have dried up:

wine is almost gone—

mournful sounds are heard

instead of joyful shouts.

8 No one plays tambourines

or stringed instruments;

all noisy celebrating

has come to an end.

9 They no longer sing

as they drink their wine,

and it tastes sour.

10 Towns are crushed and in chaos;

houses are locked tight.

11 Happy times have disappeared

from the earth,

and people shout in the streets,

"We're out of wine!"

12 Cities are destroyed;

their gates are torn down.

13 Nations will be stripped bare,

like olive trees or vineyards

after the harvest season.

14 People in the west shout;

they joyfully praise

the majesty of the Lord.

15 And so, everyone in the east

and those on the islands

should praise the Lord,

the God of Israel.

16 From all over the world

songs of praise are heard

for the God of justice.*

But I feel awful,

terribly miserable.

Can anyone be trusted?

So many are treacherous!

17 Terror, traps, and pits

are waiting for everyone.

18 If you are terrified and run,

you will fall into a pit;

if you crawl out of the pit,

you will get caught in a trap.

The sky has split apart

like a window thrown open.

The foundations of the earth

have been shaken;

19 the earth is shattered,

ripped to pieces.

20 It staggers and shakes

like a drunkard

or a hut in a windstorm.

It is burdened down with sin;

the earth will fall,

never again to get up.

21 On that day the Lord

will punish the powers

in the heavens*

and the kings of the earth.

22 He will put them in a pit

and keep them prisoner.

Then later on,

he will punish them.

23 Both the moon and sun will

be embarrassed and ashamed.

The Lord All-Powerful will rule

on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,

where he will show its rulers

his wonderful glory.