< 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, Jehovah emptieth and draineth the land; Yea, he turneth it upside down, and scattereth 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 taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
As with the people, so is it with the priest; As with the servant, so with the master; As with the maid, so with the mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the borrower, so with the lender; As with the usurer, so with the giver of usury.
3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.
The land is utterly emptied and utterly plundered; For Jehovah hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do languish.
The land mourneth, and withereth; The world languisheth, and withereth; The nobles of the people of the land do languish.
5 The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
The land was polluted under its inhabitants, Because they transgressed the law, they violated the statutes, They broke the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Therefore a curse devoured the land; Its inhabitants suffered for their guilt; Therefore are the inhabitants of the land consumed with heat, And few of the men are left.
7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
The new wine mourneth; The vine languisheth; All that were of a joyful heart do sigh;
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth; The noise of them that rejoice is at an end; The joy of the harp ceaseth.
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
No more do they drink wine with the song; Strong drink is bitter to them that use it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
The city of desolation is broken down; Every house is closed, so that none can enter.
11 There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
There is a cry for wine in the streets; All gladness is departed; The mirth of the land is gone;
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
Desolation is left in the city, And the gate is smitten into ruins.
13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the grape gleanings when the vintage is done.
Yea, thus shall it be in the land, in the midst of the people, As when the olive-tree has been shaken; As the gleaning, when the vintage is ended.
14 These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of the LORD they cry aloud from the sea.
These shall lift up their voice, and sing; Yea, for the majesty of Jehovah they shall shout from the sea.
15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the east, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.
Wherefore praise ye Jehovah in the East, The name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea!
16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, glory to the righteous. But I said, I pine away, I pine away, woe is me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
From the end of the earth we hear songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I cry, Alas, my wretchedness, my wretchedness! woe is me! The plunderers plunder; the plunderers seize the spoil.
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
The terror, the pit, and the snare Are upon thee, O inhabitant of the land!
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
Whoso fleeth from the terror shall fall into the pit, And whoso escapeth from the pit, He shall be taken in the snare; For the floodgates of heaven are opened, And the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
The earth is utterly broken down; The earth is shattered in pieces; The earth is violently moved from her place.
20 The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall be moved to and fro like a hut; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.
The earth reeleth like a drunkard, It moveth to and fro like a hammock; For her iniquity lieth heavy upon her, And she shall fall and rise no more.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
In that day will Jehovah punish the host of the high ones that are on high, And the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
They shall be thrown together bound into the pit, And shall be shut up in the prison, But after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, When Jehovah of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and Jerusalem, And his glory shall be before his ancients.

< Isaiah 24 >