1This word of Yahweh came to me, 2“And you, son of man, listen to what the Lord says to Israel:
3Finished! 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. 4I 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.
5Thus says Yahweh: Disaster! Disaster is coming! 6The end is near! It is your turn, you who live in the country. 7The time has come, the day is near! No joy, only panic on the mountains! 8Now 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. 9I 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 detestable 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.
10This is the day, the end is coming, the die is cast. For insolence has blossomed, pride bears its fruits 11and violence reigns. No one will escape.
12The time has come, the day is here! Let not the buyer rejoice or the seller regret, for the punishment will fall upon all. 13The seller will not get back what he has sold, even though he survives, for the sentence regarding the multitude will not be reversed.
14They may sound the trumpet, make preparations, but no one will go to battle, for I am indignant with all. 15Outside 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. 16Those who escape will go to the mountains; they will be like doves, each one moaning because of his sin.
17Every hand will be limp, every knee as weak as water; 18they will put on sackcloth and shudder. All will be covered with shame and every head bald.
19They 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 Yahweh’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.
20They 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. 21I will hand it over as plunder to foreigners and as booty to the most wicked of the land, and they will defile it.
22I will take away my protection from them and people will profane my treasure. Robbers will enter and desecrate it 23and within it there will be massacres, for the land is full of violence.
24I 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.
25Anguish is coming; they will seek peace but there will be none. 26Disaster will follow disaster, rumor will follow rumor. In vain will they demand a vision from the prophet. The priest will have no answer; the elders will be unable to advise. 27The 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.
