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.
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.
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.
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.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
The earth will be completely laid waste and looted. This is what the Lord has said.
4 The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
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.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
The earth is polluted by its people; they have flouted God's laws, violated his regulations, and broken the eternal agreement with him.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
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.
7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
The new wine dries up, and the vine withers. All the people celebrating groan.
8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
The happy sound of tambourines is over; the noise of the party-goers has stopped; the delightful harp music has finished,
9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
People don't sing any more as they drink wine, and the beer tastes bitter.
10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
The chaotic city is falling apart; every house is barred shut to keep others out.
11 [There is] a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
Crowds on the street are shouting, demanding to have wine. Joy turns into darkness. There's no happiness left on earth.
12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down.
13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, [there shall be] as the shaking of an olive tree, [and] as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
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.
14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
These survivors shout aloud and sing for joy. From the west they praise the Lord's majesty.
15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, [even] the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
From the east they glorify the Lord; from the sea shores they praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, [even] glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
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.
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
Terrors and pit-traps and snares are waiting for you, people of the earth.
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 from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
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.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
The earth is completely broken up; the earth is ripped apart, the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
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.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
At that time the Lord will punish all the high heavenly beings and the kings of 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 will be brought together, prisoners in a pit. They will be imprisoned, and eventually they will be punished.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
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.
