1. Behold, Jehovah maketh the land empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants.
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 him from whom usury is taken.
3. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for Jehovah hath spoken this word.
4. The land mourneth, it fadeth away; the world languisheth, it fadeth away: the haughty people of the land do languish.
5. And the land is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; for they have violated the laws, changed the statute, broken the everlasting covenant.
6. Therefore doth the curse devour the earth, and they that dwell therein are held guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are consumed, and few men are left.
7. The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all that were merry-hearted do sigh;
8. the mirth of tambours ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
9. They do not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
10. The city of solitude is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none entereth in.
11. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone;
12. desolation remaineth in the city, and the gate is smitten, --a ruin.
13. For so will it be in the midst of the land among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive-tree, as the grape-gleanings when the vintage is done.