1
Lo, Jehovah is emptying the land, And is making it waste, And hath overturned [it on] its face, And hath scattered its inhabitants.
2
And it hath been -- as a people so a priest, As the servant so his master, As the maid-servant so her mistress, As the buyer so the seller, As the lender so the borrower, As the usurer so he who is lifting [it] on himself.
3
Utterly emptied is the land, and utterly spoiled, For Jehovah hath spoken this word:
4
Mourned, faded hath the land, Languished, faded hath the world, Languished have they -- the high place of the people of the land.
5
And the land hath been defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed laws, They have changed a statute, They have made void a covenant age-during.
6
Therefore a curse hath consumed the land, And the inhabitants in it are become desolate, Therefore consumed have been inhabitants of the land, And few men have been left.
7
Mourned hath the new wine, languished the vine, Sighed have all the joyful of heart.
8
Ceased hath the joy of tabrets, Ceased hath the noise of exulting ones, Ceased hath the joy of a harp.
9
With a song they drink not wine, Bitter is strong drink to those drinking it.
10
It was broken down -- a city of emptiness, Shut hath been every house from entrance.
11
A cry over the wine [is] in out-places, Darkened hath been all joy, Removed hath been the joy of the land.
12
Left in the city [is] desolation, And [with] wasting is the gate smitten.