1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. |
2 And 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 lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. |
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. |
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. |
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. |
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. |
7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. |
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. |
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. |
10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. |
11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. |
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. |
