Isaiah 24
1 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.
See, the Lord is making the earth waste and unpeopled, he is turning it upside down, and sending the people in all directions.
2 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.
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.
3 The earth will be completely laid waste and looted. This is what the Lord has said.
The earth will be completely waste and without men; for this is the word of the Lord.
4 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.
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.
5 The earth is polluted by its people; they have flouted God's laws, violated his regulations, and broken the eternal agreement with him.
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.
6 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.
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.
7 The new wine dries up, and the vine withers. All the people celebrating groan.
The new wine is thin, the vine is feeble, and all the glad-hearted make sounds of grief.
8 The happy sound of tambourines is over; the noise of the party-goers has stopped; the delightful harp music has finished,
The pleasing sound of all instruments of music has come to an end, and the voices of those who are glad.
9 People don't sing any more as they drink wine, and the beer tastes bitter.
There is no more drinking of wine with a song; strong drink will be bitter to those who take it.
10 The chaotic city is falling apart; every house is barred shut to keep others out.
The town is waste and broken down: every house is shut up, so that no man may come in.
11 Crowds on the street are shouting, demanding to have wine. Joy turns into darkness. There's no happiness left on earth.
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.
12 The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down.
In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction.
13 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.
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.
14 These survivors shout aloud and sing for joy. From the west they praise the Lord's majesty.
But those will be making sounds of joy; they will be crying loudly from the sea for the glory of the Lord.
15 From the east they glorify the Lord; from the sea shores they praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
Give praise to the Lord in the east, to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the sea-lands.
16 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.
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.
17 Terrors and pit-traps and snares are waiting for you, people of the earth.
Fear, and death, and the net, are come on you, O people of the earth.
18 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.
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.
19 The earth is completely broken up; the earth is ripped apart, the earth is violently shaken.
The earth is completely broken, it is parted in two, it is violently moved.
20 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.
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.
21 At that time the Lord will punish all the high heavenly beings and the kings of the earth.
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.
22 They will be brought together, prisoners in a pit. They will be imprisoned, and eventually they will be punished.
And they will be got together, like prisoners in the prison-house; and after a long time they will have their punishment.
23 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.
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.
