Isaiah 24

1 Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters 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 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 creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker 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 utterly emptied and utterly laid waste; for Yahweh has spoken this word.

The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered.

4 The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish.

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

5 The earth also is polluted under 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 the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men 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 mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh.

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

8 The mirth of tambourines ceases. The sound of those who rejoice ends. The joy of the harp ceases.

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

9 They will not drink wine with a song. Strong drink will be bitter to those who drink it.

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

10 The confused city is broken down. Every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

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 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 The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction.

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

13 For it will be so within the earth among the peoples, as the shaking of an olive tree, as 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 These shall lift up their voice. They will shout for the majesty of Yahweh. They cry aloud from the sea.

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

15 Therefore glorify Yahweh in the east, even the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the islands 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 said, “I pine away! I pine 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 Fear, the pit, and the snare are on you who inhabit the earth.

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

18 It will happen that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the middle of the pit will be taken in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.

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 utterly broken. The earth is torn apart. The earth is shaken violently.

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 will sway back and forth like a hammock. Its disobedience will be heavy on it, and it will 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 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will punish the army of the high ones on high, 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, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; and after many days they will be visited.

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 confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and glory will be before his elders.

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.