Isaiah 24

1 See, the Lord is making the earth waste and unpeopled, he is turning it upside down, and sending the people in all directions.

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

2 And it will be the same for the people as for the priest; for the servant as for his master; and for the woman-servant as for her owner; the same for the one offering goods for a price as for him who takes them; the same for him who gives money at interest and for him who takes it; the same for him who lets others have the use of his property as for those who make use of it.

And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.

3 The earth will be completely waste and without men; for this is the word of the Lord.

The earth shall be utterly emptied, and clean despoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.

4 The earth is sorrowing and wasting away, the world is full of grief and wasting away, the high ones of the earth come to nothing.

The earth fainteth and fadeth away, the world faileth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do fail.

5 The earth has been made unclean by those living in it; because the laws have not been kept by them, the orders have been changed, and the eternal agreement has been broken.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting covenant.

6 For this cause the earth is given up to the curse, and those in it are judged as sinners: for this cause those living on the earth are burned up, and the rest are small in number.

Therefore hath a curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth waste away, and men are left few.

7 The new wine is thin, the vine is feeble, and all the glad-hearted make sounds of grief.

The new wine faileth, the vine fadeth; all the merry-hearted do sigh.

8 The pleasing sound of all instruments of music has come to an end, and the voices of those who are glad.

The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

9 There is no more drinking of wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those who take it.

They drink not wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.

10 The town is waste and broken down: every house is shut up, so that no man may come in.

Broken down is the city of wasteness; every house is shut up, that none may come in.

11 There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; there is an end of all delight, the joy of the land is gone.

There is a crying in the streets amidst the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

12 In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction.

In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten unto ruin.

13 For it will be in the heart of the earth among the peoples, like the shaking of an olive-tree, as the last of the grapes after the getting-in is done.

For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples, as at the beating of an olive-tree, as at the gleanings when the vintage is done.

14 But those will be making sounds of joy; they will be crying loudly from the sea for the glory of the Lord.

Those yonder lift up their voice, they sing for joy; for the majesty of the LORD they shout from the sea:

15 Give praise to the Lord in the east, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the sea-lands.

'Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the regions of light, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.'

16 From the farthest part of the earth comes the sound of songs, glory to the upright. But I said, I am wasting away, wasting away, the curse is on me! The false ones go on in their false way, yes, they go on acting falsely.

From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: 'Glory to the righteous.' But I say: I waste away, I waste away, woe is me! The treacherous deal treacherously; yea, the treacherous deal very treacherously.

17 Fear, and death, and the net, are come on you, O people of the earth.

Terror, and the pit, and the trap, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

18 And it will be that he who goes in flight from the sound of fear will be overtaken by death; and he who gets free from death will be taken in the net: for the windows on high are open, and the bases of the earth are shaking.

And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the terror shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the trap; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake;

19 The earth is completely broken, it is parted in two, it is violently moved.

The earth is broken, broken down, the earth is crumbled in pieces, the earth trembleth and tottereth;

20 The earth will be moving uncertainly, like a man overcome by drink; it will be shaking like a tent; and the weight of its sin will be on it, crushing it down so that it will not get up again.

The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21 And in that day the Lord will send punishment on the army of the high ones on high, and on the kings of the earth on the earth.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they will be got together, like prisoners in the prison-house; and after a long time they will have their punishment.

And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be punished.

23 Then the moon will be veiled, and the sun put to shame; for the Lord of armies will be ruling in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his judges he will let his glory be seen.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be Glory.