The Lord is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He’ll scatter those who live on it.

看哪，耶和华使地空虚，变为荒凉；又翻转大地，将居民分散。

看哪，耶和华使地空虚，变为荒芜，地面扭曲，居民四散。

看哪，耶和华使地空虚，变为荒芜，地面扭曲，居民四散。

看啊，耶和华必摧毁大地，使大地荒凉。祂毁坏地面，驱散万民。

看哪！耶和华使大地空虚，变为荒凉；他必翻转地面，使地上的居民四散。

看哪！耶和华使大地空废，变得荒凉；又使地面扭曲，使地上的居民四散。

看哪，耶和華使地空虛，變為荒涼；又翻轉大地，將居民分散。

看哪，耶和華使地空虛，變為荒蕪，地面扭曲，居民四散。

看哪，耶和華使地空虛，變為荒蕪，地面扭曲，居民四散。

看啊，耶和華必摧毀大地，使大地荒涼。祂毀壞地面，驅散萬民。

看哪！耶和華使大地空虛，變為荒涼；他必翻轉地面，使地上的居民四散。

看吧，永恆主必將大地弄空，使它變為荒蕪；他必扭歪地的面貌，使它的居民四散。

看哪！耶和華使大地空廢，變得荒涼；又使地面扭曲，使地上的居民四散。

耶和華使大地空虛荒蕪、傾而覆之、散其居民、

耶和華使斯土荒蕪、國家傾覆、居民離散、

主使斯地空虛、使之荒蕪、傾而覆之、傾而覆之原文作傾覆其面使其居民離散、

See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—

Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people.

Look, the LORD is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants:

Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, twists its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.

Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.

Behold, Jehovah maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

Look, the Lord is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants:

Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

Look, the LORD is ready to devastate the earth and leave it in ruins; he will mar its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.

I will completely destroy the mountains and hills. I will dry up everything that grows there. I will turn rivers into dry land. I will dry up the pools.

Nineveh is destroyed, robbed and stripped! Hearts melt away in fear. Knees give way. Bodies tremble with fear. Everyone’s face turns pale.

Then I said,“ Lord, how long will it be like that?” He answered,“ It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed. It will last until no one is living in them. It will last until the houses are deserted. The fields will be completely destroyed.It will last until the Lord has sent everyone far away. The land will be totally deserted.

People will run and hide in caves in the rocks. They will go into holes in the ground. They will run away from the terrifying presence of the Lord. They will run when he comes in glory and majesty. When he comes, he will shake the earth.

The earth will be unsteady like someone who is drunk. It will sway like a tent in the wind. Its sin will weigh so heavily on it that it will fall. It will never get up again.

Lions have come out of their dens. Those who destroy nations have begun to march out. They have left their place to destroy your land completely. Your towns will be broken to pieces. No one will live in them.

The towns where people live will be completely destroyed. The land will become a dry and empty desert. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”

“ Remember what you told him. You said,‘ If you people are not faithful, I will scatter you among the nations.

Your country has been deserted. Your cities have been burned down. The food from your fields is being eaten up by outsiders. They are doing it right in front of you. Your land has been completely destroyed. It looks as if strangers have taken it over.The city of Zion is left like a shed where someone stands guard in a vineyard. It is left like a hut in a cucumber field. It’s like a city being attacked.The Lord who rules over all has let some people live through that time of trouble. If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.

The Lord and King says,“ The whole earth will be glad. But I will make your land empty.

I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them didn’t know about these nations. With swords I will chase these people. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them.”

I will measure out punishment against Jerusalem, just as I did against Samaria. I used a plumb line against the royal family of Ahab. I used it to prove that they did not measure up to my standards. I will use the same plumb line against Jerusalem. I will wipe out Jerusalem, just as someone wipes a dish. I will wipe it and turn it upside down.

Burn up a third of the hair inside the city. Do this when you stop attacking the model of Jerusalem. Next, get another third of the hair. Strike it with a sword all around the city. Then scatter the last third to the winds. That is because I will chase the people with a sword that is ready to strike them down.

They turn everything upside down. How silly they are to think that potters are like the clay they work with! Can what is made say to the one who made it,“ You didn’t make me”? Can the pot say to the potter,“ You don’t know anything”?

No matter where you live, the towns will be destroyed. The high places will be torn down. So your altars will be completely destroyed. The statues of your gods will be smashed to pieces. Your incense altars will be broken down. And everything you have made will be wiped out.

The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in our land. He takes good care of children whose fathers have died. He also takes good care of widows. But he causes evil people to fail in everything they do.

Cities that have high walls around them will become empty. They will be settlements with no one in them. They will be like a desert. Calves will eat and lie down in them. They will strip bare the branches of their trees.

Then set the empty pot on the coals. Let it get hot. Let its copper glow. Then what is not pure in it will melt. Its scum will be burned away.

The land dries up and wastes away. Lebanon is full of shame and dries up. The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert. The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

Then the Lord will scatter you among all the nations. He’ll spread you around from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship statues of gods made out of wood and stone. You and your people of long ago hadn’t known anything about those gods.

“ I will destroy you. I will bring shame on you in the sight of the nations around you. All those who pass by will see it.

Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be taken over by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles come to an end.

My people’s land is overgrown with thorns and bushes. Mourn for all the houses that were once filled with joy. Cry over this city that used to be full of wild parties.The royal palace will be left empty. The noisy city will be deserted. The fort and lookout tower will become a dry and empty desert forever. Donkeys will enjoy being there. Flocks will eat there.

I said I would scatter them. I said I would erase their name from human memory.

The Lord will drive you out of your land. He will scatter you among the nations. Only a few of you will remain alive there.

The Lord will also bring the king of Assyria against you. And he will bring him against your people and the whole royal family. That will be a time of trouble. It will be unlike any since the people of Ephraim broke away from Judah.”At that time the Lord will whistle for the Egyptians. They will come like flies from the Nile River in Egypt. He will also whistle for the Assyrians. They will come from their country like bees.All of them will come and camp in the deep valleys. They will camp in caves in the rocks. And they’ll camp near bushes and water holes.At that time the Lord will use the Assyrians to punish you. Ahaz had hired them earlier from east of the Euphrates River. Now their king will be like a razor in the Lord’s hand. He will shave the hair from your head and private parts. He will also shave off your beards.At that time a person may only be able to keep alive one young cow and two goats.But they will give plenty of milk to live on. In fact, everyone left in the land will only have milk curds and honey to eat.The land used to have vineyards with 1,000 vines worth 25 pounds of silver. But soon the whole land will be covered with thorns and bushes.Hunters will go there with bows and arrows. That’s because it will be covered with bushes and thorns.All the hills used to be plowed with hoes. But you won’t go there anymore. That’s because you will be afraid of the thorns and bushes. Cattle will be turned loose on those hills. Sheep will also run there.

“ My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd! Attack the man who is close to me,” announces the Lord who rules over all.“ Strike down the shepherd. Then the sheep will be scattered. And I will turn my hand against their little ones.Here is what will happen in the whole land,” announces the Lord.“ Two- thirds of the people will be struck down and die. But one- third will be left.I will put this third in the fire. I will make them as pure as silver. I will test them like gold. They will call out to me. And I will answer them. I will say,‘ They are my people.’ And they will say,‘ The Lord is our God.’ ”

Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke in private to Gedaliah in Mizpah. He said,“ Let me go and kill Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. No one will know about it. Why should he take your life? Why should he cause all the Jews gathered around you to be scattered? Why should he cause the people who remain in Judah to die?”

“ Israel is like a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first lion that ate them up was the king of Assyria. The last one that broke their bones was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.”

But they couldn’t find them. So they dragged Jason and some other believers to the city officials.“ These men have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted.“ Now they have come here.

I, James, am writing this letter. I serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sending this letter to you, the 12 tribes scattered among the nations. Greetings.