²³ “I will turn her into a place for owls^(A)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,^(B)”
    declares the Lord Almighty.^(C)

⁶ Therefore a curse^(A) consumes the earth;
    its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,^(B)
    and very few are left.

¹⁵ See, the Lord is coming with fire,^(A)
    and his chariots^(B) are like a whirlwind;^(C)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke^(D) with flames of fire.
¹⁶ For with fire^(E) and with his sword^(F)
    the Lord will execute judgment^(G) on all people,
    and many will be those slain^(H) by the Lord.

“When I destroy all mankind
    on the face of the earth,”^(D)
declares the Lord,^(E)

¹⁴ The great day of the Lord^(A) is near^(B)—
    near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
        a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness^(C) and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness^(D)—
¹⁶     a day of trumpet and battle cry^(E)
against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.^(F)

¹⁷ “I will bring such distress^(G) on all people
    that they will grope about like those who are blind,^(H)
    because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out^(I) like dust
    and their entrails like dung.^(J)
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
    will be able to save them
    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”^(K)

In the fire of his jealousy^(L)
    the whole earth will be consumed,^(M)
for he will make a sudden end
    of all who live on the earth.^(N)

²     a day of darkness^(A) and gloom,^(B)
    a day of clouds^(C) and blackness.^(D)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army^(E) comes,
such as never was in ancient times^(F)
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

³ Before them fire^(G) devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,^(H)
    behind them, a desert waste^(I)—
    nothing escapes them.