The Earth Laid Bare
Our Father lays the earth bare; judgment falls on everyone alike — priest and people, lender and borrower — because the everlasting covenant was broken. Music stops, the gate is rubble, the earth staggers drunk. Songs rise from far edges, but the prophet says he wastes away.
24 1Look—our Father lays the earth waste and leaves it empty; he twists its surface and scatters its inhabitants. 2It will be the same for the people as for the priest, for the servant as for his master, for the maid as for her mistress, for the buyer as for the seller, for the lender as for the borrower, for the creditor as for the debtor. 3The earth will be utterly laid waste and utterly plundered, for our Father has spoken this word.
4The earth mourns and withers; the world fades and withers; the exalted ones of the earth fade away. 5The earth lies defiled beneath its inhabitants, for they have disobeyed the teachings, violated the statute, and broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and those who dwell in it bear their guilt; therefore the earth's inhabitants are burned away, and few people are left. 7The new wine mourns, the vine grows weak; all the merrymakers sigh. 8The joy of the tambourines is stilled, the uproar of the revelers has ceased, the joy of the lyre is stilled. 9No longer do they drink wine with song; strong drink turns bitter to those who drink it. 10The city of chaos is shattered; every house is shut up, with no way in. 11In the streets there is an outcry over the wine; all gladness has gone dark, the joy of the earth is driven away. 12Only desolation is left in the city; the gate is battered to ruins. 13For so it will be throughout the earth, among the peoples: like an olive tree beaten bare, like the grapes left behind when the harvest is done. a a v13 Olive trees were harvested by beating the branches — only a few scattered olives ever remained behind, picturing the tiny surviving remnant.
14They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of our Father they cry aloud from the west. 15Therefore in the east give glory to our Father; on the shores of the sea, glorify the name of our Father, the God of Israel. 16From the ends of the earth we hear songs: "Glory to the Righteous One!" But I said, "I waste away, I waste away—woe to me! The treacherous betray; with treachery the treacherous betray."
17Terror and pit and snare are upon you, you who dwell on the earth! 18Whoever flees at the sound of the terror will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. 19The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is torn apart, the earth is violently shaken. 20The earth staggers like a drunkard, it sways like a hut; its rebellion lies heavy upon it, and it falls and will not rise again.
21On that day our Father will punish the host of the heights in the heights, and the kings of the earth on the earth. 22They will be herded together like prisoners into a pit; they will be locked up in a dungeon, and after many days they will be punished. 23Then the moon will be ashamed and the sun put to shame, for the Father of heaven's armies reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders his glory shines.
