²³ I looked on the earth, and behold, it was ^[a](A) formless and void;
And to the heavens, and they had no light.
²⁴ I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were ^(B)quaking,
And all the hills ^[b]moved to and fro.
²⁵ I looked, and behold, there was no man,
And all the ^(C)birds of the heavens had fled.
²⁶ I looked, and behold, ^[c]the ^(D)fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were pulled down
Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

²⁷ For thus says the Lord,
“The ^(E)whole land shall be a desolation,
Yet I will ^(F)not execute a complete destruction.
²⁸ “For this the ^(G)earth shall mourn
And the ^(H)heavens above be dark,
Because I have ^(I)spoken, I have purposed,
And I will not ^[d]change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
²⁹ At the sound of the horseman and bowman ^(J)every city flees;
They ^(K)go into the thickets and climb among the rocks;
^(L)Every city is forsaken,
And no man dwells in them.