One nation oppressed another nation, and one city oppressed another city, because God was bringing trouble and distress on them.

Because the LORD Almighty is angry, his punishment burns like a fire throughout the land and destroys the people, and it is each of us for ourselves.

The people of Manasseh and the people of Ephraim attack each other, and together they attack Judah. Yet even so the LORD's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish.

The LORD says, "I will stir up civil war in Egypt and turn brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor. Rival cities will fight each other, and rival kings will struggle for power.

Ruin, ruin! Yes, I will make the city a ruin. But this will not happen until the one comes whom I have chosen to punish the city. To him I will give it.

for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: "I am about to shake heaven and earth

and overthrow kingdoms and end their power. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another.

The LORD will bring all the nations together to make war on Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half of the people will go into exile, but the rest of them will not be taken away from the city.

Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past.

At that time the LORD will make them so confused and afraid that everyone will seize the man next to him and attack him.

The words "once more" plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

The earth will crack and shatter and split open.

A time is coming when the LORD will punish the powers above and the rulers of the earth.

The moon will grow dark, and the sun will no longer shine, for the LORD Almighty will be king. He will rule in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, and the leaders of the people will see his glory.

This is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: "I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem---war, famine, wild animals, and disease---to destroy people and animals alike.

"I will give warnings of that day in the sky and on the earth; there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke.

The sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn red as blood before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

At that time he will stand on the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west by a large valley. Half of the mountain will move northward, and half of it southward.

There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky.

"There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides.

People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses.

I will perform miracles in the sky above and wonders on the earth below. There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;

One of them, named Agabus, stood up and by the power of the Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)