²² For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    has plainly said that he is determined to crush the whole land.
So scoff no more,
    or your punishment will be even greater.

²⁸ For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth
    quickly and with finality.”^[a]

⁴ The earth mourns and dries up,
    and the land wastes away and withers.
    Even the greatest people on earth waste away.
⁵ The earth suffers for the sins of its people,
    for they have twisted God’s instructions,
violated his laws,
    and broken his everlasting covenant.
⁶ Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.
    Its people must pay the price for their sin.
They are destroyed by fire,
    and only a few are left alive.
⁷ The grapevines waste away,
    and there is no new wine.
    All the merrymakers sigh and mourn.
⁸ The cheerful sound of tambourines is stilled;
    the happy cries of celebration are heard no more.
    The melodious chords of the harp are silent.
⁹ Gone are the joys of wine and song;
    alcoholic drink turns bitter in the mouth.
¹⁰ The city writhes in chaos;
    every home is locked to keep out intruders.
¹¹ Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine.
    Joy has turned to gloom.
    Gladness has been banished from the land.
¹² The city is left in ruins,
    its gates battered down.
¹³ Throughout the earth the story is the same—
    only a remnant is left,
like the stray olives left on the tree
    or the few grapes left on the vine after harvest.

¹⁴ But all who are left shout and sing for joy.
    Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.
¹⁵ In eastern lands, give glory to the Lord.
    In the lands beyond the sea, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
¹⁶ We hear songs of praise from the ends of the earth,
    songs that give glory to the Righteous One!

But my heart is heavy with grief.
    Weep for me, for I wither away.
Deceit still prevails,
    and treachery is everywhere.
¹⁷ Terror and traps and snares will be your lot,
    you people of the earth.
¹⁸ Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap,
    and those who escape the trap will be caught in a snare.

Destruction falls like rain from the heavens;
    the foundations of the earth shake.
¹⁹ The earth has broken up.
    It has utterly collapsed;
    it is violently shaken.
²⁰ The earth staggers like a drunk.
    It trembles like a tent in a storm.
It falls and will not rise again,
    for the guilt of its rebellion is very heavy.

²¹ In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens
    and the proud rulers of the nations on earth.
²² They will be rounded up and put in prison.
    They will be shut up in prison
    and will finally be punished.
²³ Then the glory of the moon will wane,
    and the brightness of the sun will fade,
for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion.
    He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem,
    in the sight of all the leaders of his people.

²⁶ I have a plan for the whole earth,
    a hand of judgment upon all the nations.
²⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—
    who can change his plans?
When his hand is raised,
    who can stop him?”