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24. Lord's Devastation of Earth

¹ See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth
   and devastate it;
he will ruin its face
   and scatter its inhabitants—
² it will be the same
   for priest as for people,
   for the master as for his servant,
   for the mistress as for her servant,
   for seller as for buyer,
   for borrower as for lender,
   for debtor as for creditor.
³ The earth will be completely laid waste
   and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.

    ⁴ The earth dries up and withers,
   the world languishes and withers,
   the heavens languish with the earth.
⁵ The earth is defiled by its people;
   they have disobeyed the laws,
violated the statutes
   and broken the everlasting covenant.
⁶ Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
   its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,
   and very few are left.
⁷ The new wine dries up and the vine withers;
   all the merrymakers groan.
⁸ The joyful timbrels are stilled,
   the noise of the revelers has stopped,
   the joyful harp is silent.
⁹ No longer do they drink wine with a song;
   the beer is bitter to its drinkers.
¹⁰ The ruined city lies desolate;
   the entrance to every house is barred.
¹¹ In the streets they cry out for wine;
   all joy turns to gloom,
   all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
¹² The city is left in ruins,
   its gate is battered to pieces.
¹³ So will it be on the earth
   and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
   or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.

    ¹⁴ They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
   from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty.
¹⁵ Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
   exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
   in the islands of the sea.
¹⁶ From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
   “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!”
¹⁷ Terror and pit and snare await you,
   people of the earth.
¹⁸ Whoever flees at the sound of terror
   will fall into a pit;
whoever climbs out of the pit
   will be caught in a snare.

   The floodgates of the heavens are opened,
   the foundations of the earth shake.
¹⁹ The earth is broken up,
   the earth is split asunder,
   the earth is violently shaken.
²⁰ The earth reels like a drunkard,
   it sways like a hut in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion
   that it falls—never to rise again.

    ²¹ In that day the LORD will punish
   the powers in the heavens above
   and the kings on the earth below.
²² They will be herded together
   like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
   and be punished Or released after many days.
²³ The moon will be dismayed,
   the sun ashamed;
for the LORD Almighty will reign
   on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
   and before its elders—with great glory.

19. By breaking down is the earth broken down. He heightens his description of punishments by using various modes of expression. A little afterwards he will point out the cause of this “shaking,” which is, that men by their sins had drawn down on themselves such destruction. He now declares that this evil is incurable. We have formerly said that the Prophet explains the same thing in various ways, and for the purpose of striking and arousing those minds which are naturally very sluggish; for there is in the flesh a carelessness which produces contempt of God, and we have too much experience of it both in ourselves and in others. In order, therefore, that the prophets might arouse those who were careless and asleep in their vices, they adorn their style; not because they cared about being thought eloquent, but that they might make their hearers more attentive, and sting them to the quick. Hence the allusions of which these verses are full; hence the brilliant metaphors in the style; hence the threatenings and terrors announced in various ways; the object of all is, that careless men may be aroused.

Now, this doctrine ought to be limited to the wicked; not because the godly are exempted from those evils, for they are afflicted as well as other men; but because, when the godly betake themselves to God, and rely wholly upon him, they are not shaken in this manner, and remain firm and steadfast against every assault; while wicked men, who despised the judgments of God, and took unbounded liberties in transgression, are terrified and alarmed, and never find rest.