2It shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest to him.
3The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for Yahweh has spoken this word.
4The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away, the lofty people of the earth do languish.
5The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants of it; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
6Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
7The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted do sigh.
8The mirth of tambourines ceases, the noise of those who rejoice ends, the joy of the harp ceases.
