Isaiah 24
1 Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
Watch out! The Lord is going to destroy the earth, to make it totally devastated. He's going to rip up the surface of the earth and scatter its inhabitants.
2 people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
It will happen the same for everybody—whether people or priests, servants or their masters, maids or their mistresses, buyers or sellers, lenders or borrowers, creditors or debtors.
3 The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered.
The earth will be completely laid waste and looted. This is what the Lord has said.
4 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.
The earth dries up and withers away; the world shrivels up and withers away, the high and mighty people shrivel up along with the earth.
5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.
The earth is polluted by its people; they have flouted God's laws, violated his regulations, and broken the eternal agreement with him.
6 Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants must bear the guilt; the earth’s dwellers have been burned, and only a few survive.
That is why a curse is destroying the earth. The people suffer because of their guilt. The inhabitants of the earth are burned up and only a few survive.
7 The new wine dries up, the vine withers. All the merrymakers now groan.
The new wine dries up, and the vine withers. All the people celebrating groan.
8 The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.
The happy sound of tambourines is over; the noise of the party-goers has stopped; the delightful harp music has finished,
9 They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.
People don't sing any more as they drink wine, and the beer tastes bitter.
10 The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry.
The chaotic city is falling apart; every house is barred shut to keep others out.
11 In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land.
Crowds on the street are shouting, demanding to have wine. Joy turns into darkness. There's no happiness left on earth.
12 The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down.
13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations, like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest.
This is the way it's going to be all throughout the earth among the nations—only a few olives are left after the tree is shaken, only a few grapes are left to be gleaned after the harvest.
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.
These survivors shout aloud and sing for joy. From the west they praise the Lord's majesty.
15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea.
From the east they glorify the Lord; from the sea shores they praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.
We hear songs coming from the ends of the earth, singing, “Glory to the God who does right.” But I'm miserable, miserable. Pity me! Deceitful people go on betraying, again and again.
17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
Terrors and pit-traps and snares are waiting for you, people of the earth.
18 Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Those who run away in terror will fall into a pit-trap, and those who escape from the pit-trap will be caught in a snare. Heaven's windows are opened; earth's foundations shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
The earth is completely broken up; the earth is ripped apart, the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.
The earth staggers to and fro like a drunk, and sways this way and that like a shelter. The guilt of its rebelliousness weighs heavily on it, and it collapses—it won't rise again.
21 In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
At that time the Lord will punish all the high heavenly beings and the kings of the earth.
22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.
They will be brought together, prisoners in a pit. They will be imprisoned, and eventually they will be punished.
23 The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.
The moon will be embarrassed and the sun will be ashamed, for the Lord Almighty will reign in glory on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem in the presence of its leaders.
