1 This word of Yahweh came to me,
2 “And you, son of man, listen to what the Lord says to Israel:
3 Finished! The end is coming for the four corners of the land. It is all over for you. I am unleashing my anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your filthy practices.
4 I will not look on you with pity; I will be merciless. I will bring against you what is fitting for your conduct and your detestable practices and you will know it is Yahweh striking you.
5 Thus says Yahweh: Di saster! Disaster is coming!
6 The end is near! It is your turn, you who live in the country.
7 The time has come, the day is near! No joy, only panic on the mountains!
8 Now I am unleashing my fury against you; my anger will exhaust itself on you. I will judge you according to your ways and your detestable practices.
9 I will not look on you with pity; I will be without mercy. I will judge you according to your conduct and call you to account for your de testable practices. I will not look on you with pity and I will show you no mercy. I will give you what your conduct deserves. And you will know that I am Yahweh when I strike you for your abominable practices.
10 This is the day, the end is com ing, the die is cast. For insolence has blossomed, pride bears its fruits
11 and violence reigns. No one will escape.
12 The time has come, the day is here! Let not the buyer rejoice or the seller regret, for the punishment will fall upon all.
13 The seller will not get back what he has sold, even though he survives, for the sentence regarding the multitude will not be reversed.
14 They may sound the trumpet, make pre pa rations, but no one will go to battle, for I am indignant with all.
15 Outside in the open is the sword; plague and starvation in the houses. Those in the country will die by the sword, those in the city will be victims of famine and plague.
16 Those who escape will go to the mountains; they will be like doves, each one moaning be cause of his sin.
17 Every hand will be limp, every knee as weak as water;
18 they will put on sackcloth and shudder. All will be covered with shame and every head bald.
19 They will throw their silver in the streets and their gold will be dropped like filth. Silver or gold will not save them on the day of Yah weh’s anger. It will be useless to satisfy their hunger and to fill their stomachs, for it was their stumbling block, the cause of their sin.
20 They became proud of their splendid jewel (the Temple), but they put into it their loathsome images and idols; that is why I will make it a horror.
21 I will hand it over as plunder to foreigners and as booty to the most wicked of the land, and they will defile it.
22 I will take away my protection from them and people will profane my treasure. Robbers will enter and desecrate it
23 and within it there will be massacres, for the land is full of violence.
24 I will bring the most cruel of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will break the pride of the violent and their sanctuaries will be profaned.
25 Anguish is coming; they will seek peace but there will be none.
26 Disaster will follow disaster, rumor will follow rumor. In vain will they demand a vision from the proph et. The priest will have no answer; the elders will be unable to ad vise.
27 The king will mourn; the princes will be overcome with grief, and the hands of the citizens will tremble.
I will treat them as their conduct deserves and judge them according to their deeds, and they will know that I am Yahweh.