Isaiah 24

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

Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—

2 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.

people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.

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

The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered.

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

The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.

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

The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.

6 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.

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.

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

The new wine dries up, the vine withers. All the merrymakers now groan.

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

The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.

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

They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

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

The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry.

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

In the streets they cry out for wine. All joy turns to gloom; rejoicing is exiled from the land.

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

The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.

13 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.

So will it be on the earth and among the nations, like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

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

They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.

15 '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.'

Therefore glorify the LORD in the east. Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israel in the islands of the sea.

16 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.

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.

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

Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.

18 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;

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.

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

The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.

20 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.

The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.

21 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.

In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.

22 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.

They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.

23 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.

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.