1Woe unto thee, Babylon, and Asia! woe unto thee, Egypt, and Syria!

2Gird up yourselves with sackcloth and garments of hair, and bewail your children, and lament; for your destruction is at hand.

3A sword is sent upon you, and who is he that may turn it back?

4A fire is sent upon you, and who is he that may quench it?

5Evils are sent upon you, and who is he that may drive them away?

6May one drive away a hungry lion in the wood? or may one quench the fire in stubble, when it hath once begun to burn?

7May one turn again the arrow that is shot of a strong archer?

8The Lord God sendeth the evils, and who shall drive them away?

9A fire shall go forth from his wrath, and who is he that may quench it?

10He shall cast lightning, and who shall not fear? he shall thunder, and who shall not tremble?

11The Lord shall threaten, and who shall not be utterly broken in pieces at his presence?

12The earth quaketh, and the foundations thereof; the sea ariseth up with waves from the deep, and the waves of it shall be troubled, and the fishes thereof also, at the presence of the Lord, and before the glory of his power:

13for strong is his right hand that bendeth the bow, his arrows that he shooteth are sharp, and shall not miss, when they begin to be shot into the ends of the world.

14Behold, the evils are sent forth, and shall not return again, until they come upon the earth.

15The fire is kindled, and shall not be put out, till it consume the foundations of the earth.

16Like as an arrow which is shot of a mighty archer returneth not backward, even so the evils that are sent forth upon earth shall not return again.

17Woe is me! woe is me! who will deliver me in those days?

18The beginning of sorrows, and there shall be great mournings; the beginning of famine, and many shall perish; the beginning of wars, and the powers shall stand in fear; the beginning of evils, and all shall tremble! what shall they do in all this when the evils shall come?

19Behold, famine and plague, tribulation and anguish! they are sent as scourges for amendment.

20But for all these things they shall not turn them from their wickedness, nor be alway mindful of the scourges.

21Behold, victuals shall be so good cheap upon earth, that they shall think themselves to be in good case, and even then shall evils grow upon earth, sword, famine, and great confusion.

22For many of them that dwell upon earth shall perish of famine; and the other, that escape the famine, shall the sword destroy.

23And the dead shall be cast out as dung, and there shall be no man to comfort them: for the earth shall be left desolate, and the cities thereof shall be cast down.

24There shall be no husbandman left to till the earth, and to sow it.

25The trees shall give fruit, and who shall gather them?

26The grapes shall ripen, and who shall tread them? for in all places there shall be a great forsaking:

27for one man shall desire to see another, or to hear his voice.

28For of a city there shall be ten left, and two of the field, which have hidden themselves in the thick groves, and in the clefts of the rocks.

29As in an orchard of olives upon every tree there be left three or four olives,

30or as when a vineyard is gathered there be some clusters left by them that diligently seek through the vineyard;

31even so in those days there shall be three or four left by them that search their houses with the sword.

32And the earth shall be left desolate, and the fields thereof shall be for briers, and her ways and all her paths shall bring forth thorns, because no sheep shall pass therethrough.

33The virgins shall mourn, having no bridegrooms; the women shall mourn, having no husbands; their daughters shall mourn, having no helpers.

34In the wars shall their bridegrooms be destroyed, and their husbands shall perish of famine.

35Hear now these things, and understand them, ye servants of the Lord.

36Behold, the word of the Lord, receive it: disbelieve not the things whereof the Lord speaketh.

37Behold, the evils draw nigh, and are not slack.

38Like as a woman with child in the ninth month, when the hour of her delivery draweth near, within two or three hours doleful pains compass her womb, and when the child cometh forth from the womb, there shall be no tarrying for a moment:

39even so shall not the evils be slack to come upon the earth, and the world shall groan, and sorrows shall take hold of it on every side.

40O my people, hear my word: make you ready to the battle, and in those evils be even as pilgrims upon the earth.

41He that selleth, let him be as he that fleeth away: and he that buyeth, as one that will lose:

42he that occupieth merchandise, as he that hath no profit by it: and he that buildeth, as he that shall not dwell therein:

43he that soweth, as if he should not reap: so also he that pruneth the vines, as he that shall not gather the grapes:

44they that marry, as they that shall get no children; and they that marry not, as the widowed.

45Inasmuch as they that labour labour in vain;

46for strangers shall reap their fruits, and spoil their goods, overthrow their houses, and take their children captive, for in captivity and famine shall they beget their children:

47and they that traffick traffick to become a spoil: the more they deck their cities, their houses, their possessions, and their own persons,

48the more will I hate them for their sins, saith the Lord.

49Like as a right honest and virtuous woman hateth a harlot,

50so shall righteousness hate iniquity, when she decketh herself, and shall accuse her to her face, when he cometh that shall defend him that diligently searcheth out every sin upon earth.

51Therefore be ye not like thereunto, nor to the works thereof.

52For yet a little while, and iniquity shall be taken away out of the earth, and righteousness shall reign over us.

53Let not the sinner say that he hath not sinned: for he shall burn coals of fire upon his head, which saith, I have not sinned before God and his glory.

54Behold, the Lord knoweth all the works of men, their imaginations, their thoughts, and their hearts.

55Who said, Let the earth be made; and it was made: Let the heaven be made; and it was made.

56And at his word were the stars established, and he knoweth the number of the stars.

57Who searcheth the deep, and the treasures thereof; he hath measured the sea, and what it containeth.

58Who hath shut the sea in the midst of the waters, and with his word hath he hanged the earth upon the waters.

59Who spreadeth out the heaven like a vault; upon the waters hath he founded it.

60Who hath made in the desert springs of water, and pools upon the tops of the mountains, to send forth rivers from the height to water the earth.

61Who framed man, and put a heart in the midst of the body, and gave him breath, life, and understanding,

62yea, the spirit of God Almighty. He who made all things, and searcheth out hidden things in hidden places,

63surely he knoweth your imagination, and what ye think in your hearts. Woe to them that sin, and would fain hide their sin!

64Forasmuch as the Lord will exactly search out all your works, and he will put you all to shame.

65And when your sins are brought forth before men, ye shall be ashamed, and your own iniquities shall stand as your accusers in that day.

66What will ye do? or how will ye hide your sins before God and his angels?

67Behold, God is the judge, fear him: leave off from your sins, and forget your iniquities, to meddle no more with them for ever: so shall God lead you forth, and deliver you from all tribulation.

68For, behold, the burning wrath of a great multitude is kindled over you, and they shall take away certain of you, and feed you with that which is slain unto idols.

69And they that consent unto them shall be had in derision and in reproach, and be trodden under foot of them.

70For there shall be ¹⁵⁶in divers places, and in the next cities, a great insurrection upon those that fear the Lord.

71They shall be like mad men, sparing none, but spoiling and destroying them that still fear the Lord.

72For they shall waste and take away their goods, and cast them out of their houses.

73Then shall be manifest the trial of mine elect; even as the gold that is tried in the fire.

74Hear, O ye mine elect, saith the Lord: behold, the days of tribulation are at hand, and I will deliver you from them.

75Be ye not afraid, neither doubt; for God is your guide:

76and ye who keep my commandments and precepts, saith the Lord God, let not your sins weigh you down, and let not your iniquities lift up themselves.

77Woe unto them that are fast bound with their sins, and covered with their iniquities, like as a field is fast bound with bushes, and the path thereof covered with thorns, that no man may travel through!

78¹⁵⁷It is even shut off, and given up to be consumed of fire.