1 Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate,and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;as with the slave, 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 creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and withers;the world languishes and withers;the highest people of the earth languish.
5 The earth lies defiledunder its inhabitants;for they have transgressed the laws,violated the statutes,broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,and few men are left.
7 The wine mourns,the vine languishes,all the merry-hearted sigh.