9 I saw my master standing beside the altar, and he said,

“Strike the tops of the pillars so that the foundations will shake.

Break them in pieces onto all their heads,

and I will kill the last of them with the sword.

Not one of them will get away.

≈Not one of them will escape.

2 Though they dig down towards Sheol, my hand will reach in there and pluck them out.

≈Though they climb up to heaven, I’ll bring them back down from there.

3 Even if they hide on the top of Mt. Carmel, I’ll search there and take them.

≈Though they’re hidden from my sight at the bottom of the sea, I’ll give orders to the serpent there to bite them.

4 Though they go into captivity, driven ahead by their enemies, I’ll give orders there to the sword to kill them.

I’ll keep my eyes on them for harm and not for good.”

5 Master and army commander Yahweh touches the land and it melts.

All who live in it mourn.

All of it will rise up like the Nile River,

then go down again like Egypt’s river.

6 He builds his steps in the heavens,

≈and has established his vault over the earth.

He calls for the waters of the sea,

and pours them out on the earth’s surface,

Yahweh is his name.

7 This is Yahweh’s declaration:

“Aren’t you all like Ethopia’s sons (Heb. Kush) to me, you Israelis?

Didn’t I bring Israel out of Egypt,

the Philistines from Crete,

and the Arameans from Kir?

8 Listen, the eyes of my master Yahweh are on the sinful kingdom of Israel,

and I will destroy it from the face of the earth,

except that I won’t totally wipe out Yakob’s descendants.

That is Yahweh’s declaration.

9 Because, listen, I will give a command,

and I’ll shake Israel among all the nations,

as one shakes grain in a sieve,

but not even a pebble will fall to the ground. 10 All my people who are sinners will die by the sword,

including those who said, ‘We’re totally immune from any disaster.’