Isaiah 24
1 Look, Yahweh is about to empty the earth, to devastate it, mar its surface, and scatter its inhabitants.
Behold, the LORD lays waste the earth and leaves it in ruins. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants—
2 It will come about that, 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 creditor, so with the debtor; as with the receiver of interest, so with the giver of interest.
people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
3 The earth will be completely devastated and completely stripped; for Yahweh has spoken this word.
The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered.
4 The earth dries up and withers, the world shrivels up and fades away, the prominent people of the earth waste away.
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.
5 The earth is polluted by its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and 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 a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants are found guilty. The inhabitants of the earth burn up, and few people are left.
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 dries up, the vine withers, all the merry-hearted groan.
The new wine dries up, the vine withers. All the merrymakers now groan.
8 The happy sound of the tambourines stops, and the revelry of those who rejoice; the joy of the lyre ceases.
The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent.
9 They no longer drink wine and sing, and the beer is bitter to those who drink it.
They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.
10 The city of chaos has been broken down; every house is closed up and empty.
The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry.
11 There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the gladness of the land has disappeared.
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 a desolation, and the gate is broken into a ruin.
The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
13 For this is how it will be on the whole earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as the gleanings when the grape harvest 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 They will lift up their voices and shout the majesty of Yahweh, and will joyfully shout from the sea.
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they proclaim the majesty of the LORD.
15 Therefore in the east glorify Yahweh, and in the isles of the sea give glory to the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
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 farthest part of the earth we have heard songs, “Glory to the righteous one!” But I said, “I have wasted away, I have wasted away, woe is me! The treacherous have dealt treacherously; yes, the treacherous have dealt 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, the pit, and the snare are upon you, inhabitants of the earth.
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
18 He who flees from the sound of terror will fall into the pit, and he who comes up out of the middle of the pit will be caught in the snare. The windows of the heavens will be opened, and the foundations of the earth will 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 will be completely broken, the earth ripped apart; the earth will be violently shaken.
The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth will stagger like a drunken man and it will sway back and forth like a hut. Its sin will be heavy on it and it will fall and never 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 On that day Yahweh will punish the host of the heaven in the heavens, and the kings of the earth on the earth.
In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
22 They will be gathered together, prisoners in a pit, and will be shut up in a prison; and after many days they will 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 will be ashamed, and the sun disgraced, for Yahweh of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders in 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.
