הִנֵּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה בּוֹקֵ֥ק הָאָ֖רֶץ וּבֽוֹלְקָ֑הּ וְעִוָּ֣ה פָנֶ֔יהָ וְהֵפִ֖יץ יֹשְׁבֶֽיהָ׃ Behold,
GOD will strip the earth bare,
And lay it waste,
And twist its surface,
And scatter its inhabitants.
וְהָיָ֤ה כָעָם֙ כַּכֹּהֵ֔ן כַּעֶ֙בֶד֙ כַּֽאדֹנָ֔יו כַּשִּׁפְחָ֖ה כַּגְּבִרְתָּ֑הּ כַּקּוֹנֶה֙ כַּמּוֹכֵ֔ר כַּמַּלְוֶה֙ כַּלֹּוֶ֔ה כַּנֹּשֶׁ֕ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר נֹשֶׁ֥א בֽוֹ׃ Laity and priest shall fare alike,
Slave and master,
Handmaid and mistress,
Buyer and seller,
Lender and borrower,
Creditor and debtor.
הִבּ֧וֹק ׀ תִּבּ֛וֹק הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִבּ֣וֹז ׀ תִּבֹּ֑ז כִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה דִּבֶּ֖ר אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ The earth shall be bare, bare;
It shall be plundered, plundered;
For it is GOD who spoke this word.
אָבְלָ֤ה נָֽבְלָה֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֻמְלְלָ֥ה נָבְלָ֖ה תֵּבֵ֑ל אֻמְלָ֖לוּ מְר֥וֹם עַם־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ The earth is withered, sear;
The world languishes, it is sear;
The most exalted people of the earthaThe most exalted people of the earth Change of vocalization yields “both sky and earth.” languish.
וְהָאָ֥רֶץ חָנְפָ֖ה תַּ֣חַת יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ כִּֽי־עָבְר֤וּ תוֹרֹת֙ חָ֣לְפוּ חֹ֔ק הֵפֵ֖רוּ בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם׃ For the earth was defiled
Under its inhabitants;
Because they transgressed teachings,
Violated laws,
Broke the ancient covenant.bthe ancient covenant I.e., the moral law, which is binding on all people (cf. Gen. 9.4–6).
עַל־כֵּ֗ן אָלָה֙ אָ֣כְלָה אֶ֔רֶץ וַֽיֶּאְשְׁמ֖וּ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ עַל־כֵּ֗ן חָרוּ֙ יֹ֣שְׁבֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִזְעָֽר׃ That is why a curse consumes the earth,
And its inhabitants pay the penalty;
That is why earth’s dwellers have dwindled,
And but few people are left.
אָבַ֥ל תִּיר֖וֹשׁ אֻמְלְלָה־גָ֑פֶן נֶאֶנְח֖וּ כׇּל־שִׂמְחֵי־לֵֽב׃ The new wine fails,
The vine languishes;
And all the merry-hearted sigh.
שָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ תֻּפִּ֔ים חָדַ֖ל שְׁא֣וֹן עַלִּיזִ֑ים שָׁבַ֖ת מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ כִּנּֽוֹר׃ Stilled is the merriment of hand-drums,
Ended the clamor of revelers,
Stilled the merriment of lyres.
בַּשִּׁ֖יר לֹ֣א יִשְׁתּוּ־יָ֑יִן יֵמַ֥ר שֵׁכָ֖ר לְשֹׁתָֽיו׃ They drink their wine without song;
Liquor tastes bitter to the drinker.
נִשְׁבְּרָ֖ה קִרְיַת־תֹּ֑הוּ סֻגַּ֥ר כׇּל־בַּ֖יִת מִבּֽוֹא׃ Towns are broken,cbroken Emendation yields “left.” empty;
Every house is shut, none enter;
צְוָחָ֥ה עַל־הַיַּ֖יִן בַּחוּצ֑וֹת עָֽרְבָה֙ כׇּל־שִׂמְחָ֔ה גָּלָ֖ה מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Even over wine, a cry goes up in the streets:
The sun has set on all joy,
The gladness of the earth is banished.
נִשְׁאַ֥ר בָּעִ֖יר שַׁמָּ֑ה וּשְׁאִיָּ֖ה יֻכַּת־שָֽׁעַר׃ Desolation is left in the town
And the gate is battered to ruins.
כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה יִֽהְיֶ֛ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָ֖רֶץ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעַמִּ֑ים כְּנֹ֣קֶף זַ֔יִת כְּעוֹלֵלֹ֖ת אִם־כָּלָ֥ה בָצִֽיר׃ For thus shall it be among the peoples
In the midst of the earth:
As when the olive tree is beaten out,
Like gleanings when the vintage is over.
הֵ֛מָּה יִשְׂא֥וּ קוֹלָ֖ם יָרֹ֑נּוּ בִּגְא֣וֹן יְהֹוָ֔ה צָהֲל֖וּ מִיָּֽם׃ These shall lift up their voices,
Exult in GOD’s majesty.
They shall shout from the sea:
עַל־כֵּ֥ן בָּאֻרִ֖ים כַּבְּד֣וּ יְהֹוָ֑ה בְּאִיֵּ֣י הַיָּ֔ם שֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס} Therefore, honor GOD with lights
In the coastlands of the sea—
The name of the ETERNAL, the God of Israel.
מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ צְבִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֔יק וָאֹמַ֛ר רָזִי־לִ֥י רָֽזִי־לִ֖י א֣וֹי לִ֑י בֹּגְדִ֣ים בָּגָ֔דוּ וּבֶ֥גֶד בּוֹגְדִ֖ים בָּגָֽדוּ׃ From the end of the earth
We hear singing:
Glory to the righteous!
And I said:dAnd I said Change of vocalization yields “They shall say.”
I waste away! I waste away! Woe is me!
The faithless have acted faithlessly;
The faithless have broken faith!eI waste … faith Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “Villain [Arabic razīl], foolish villain! / The faithless who acted faithlessly / Have been betrayed in turn.”
פַּ֥חַד וָפַ֖חַת וָפָ֑ח עָלֶ֖יךָ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Terror, and pit, and trapfTerror, and pit, and trap Heb. paḥad wa-paḥath, wa-paḥ.
Upon you who dwell on earth!
וְ֠הָיָ֠ה הַנָּ֞ס מִקּ֤וֹל הַפַּ֙חַד֙ יִפֹּ֣ל אֶל־הַפַּ֔חַת וְהָֽעוֹלֶה֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַפַּ֔חַת יִלָּכֵ֖ד בַּפָּ֑ח כִּֽי־אֲרֻבּ֤וֹת מִמָּרוֹם֙ נִפְתָּ֔חוּ וַֽיִּרְעֲשׁ֖וּ מ֥וֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ Whoever flees at the report of the terror
Shall fall into the pit;
And whoever climbs out of the pit
Shall be caught in the trap.
For sluices are opened on high,
And earth’s foundations tremble.
רֹ֥עָה הִֽתְרֹעֲעָ֖ה הָאָ֑רֶץ פּ֤וֹר הִֽתְפּוֹרְרָה֙ אֶ֔רֶץ מ֥וֹט הִֽתְמוֹטְטָ֖ה אָֽרֶץ׃ The earth is breaking, breaking;
The earth is crumbling, crumbling.
The earth is tottering, tottering;
נ֣וֹעַ תָּנ֤וּעַ אֶ֙רֶץ֙ כַּשִּׁכּ֔וֹר וְהִֽתְנוֹדְדָ֖ה כַּמְּלוּנָ֑ה וְכָבַ֤ד עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ פִּשְׁעָ֔הּ וְנָפְלָ֖ה וְלֹא־תֹסִ֥יף קֽוּם׃ {ס} The earth is swaying like a drunkard;
It is rocking to and fro like a hut.
Its iniquity shall weigh it down,
And it shall fall, to rise no more.
וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִפְקֹ֧ד יְהֹוָ֛ה עַל־צְבָ֥א הַמָּר֖וֹם בַּמָּר֑וֹם וְעַל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה עַל־הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ In that day, GOD will punish
The host of heaven in heaven
And the kings of the earth on earth.
וְאֻסְּפ֨וּ אֲסֵפָ֤ה אַסִּיר֙ עַל־בּ֔וֹר וְסֻגְּר֖וּ עַל־מַסְגֵּ֑ר וּמֵרֹ֥ב יָמִ֖ים יִפָּקֵֽדוּ׃ They shall be gathered in a dungeon
As captives are gathered;
And shall be locked up in a prison.
But after many days they shall be remembered.
וְחָֽפְרָה֙ הַלְּבָנָ֔ה וּבוֹשָׁ֖ה הַחַמָּ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלַ֞ךְ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת בְּהַ֤ר צִיּוֹן֙ וּבִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְנֶ֥גֶד זְקֵנָ֖יו כָּבֽוֹד׃ {פ}
Then the moon shall be ashamed,
And the sun shall be abashed.
For GOD of Hosts will reign
On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
And the Presence will be revealed to God’s elders.