Isaiah 24

1 Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.

Lo! Yahweh emptying the earth and laying it waste, —And he will overturn the face thereof, And scatter them who dwell therein.

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.

And it shall be—As the people, so, the priest, As the servant, so his lord, As the maid, so, her mistress, —As the buyer, so, the seller, As the lender, so, the borrower, As the debtor, so! his creditor.

3 The earth will be utterly emptied and utterly laid waste; for the LORD has spoken this word.

Emptied—emptied—shall be the earth yea pillaged—pillaged, —For, Yahweh, hath spoken this word.

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

Mourneth, fadeth, the earth Languisheth, fadeth, the world, —Languished have the lofty of the people of the earth.

5 The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant.

Yea the earth itself is profaned under them who dwell therein, —For they have Set aside laws, Gone beyond statute, Broken an age-abiding 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.

For this cause, a curse, hath devoured the earth, And punished are the dwellers therein, —For this cause, are burned the inhabitants of the earth, And the men left remaining—are few.

7 The new wine mourns. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh.

Mourneth the new wine. Withereth the vine, —Sighing are all the merryhearted:

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

Ceased hath the mirth of timbrels, Ended is the noise of the uproarious, —Ceased hath the mirth of the lyre:

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

With a song, they drink not wine, —Bitter is strong drink, to them who drink it:

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

Broken down is the city of desolation, —Shut up every house that it cannot be entered.

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 an outcry concerning wine in the streets, —Darkened is all joy, Departed the gladness of the earth.

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

There is left in the city. desolation, —And to ruins, have been broken the gate.

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.

When, thus, it shall be in the earth in the midst of the peoples, [There shall be] like the shaking of an olive-tree, like the going round to pick when closed is the harvest.

14 These shall lift up their voice. They will shout for the majesty of the LORD. They cry aloud from the sea.

They, shall lift up their voice—shall raise a tremulous note, —On account of the splendour of Yahweh, have they made a shrill cry, on the West;

15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea!

For this cause, In the Regions of Light, give ye glory to Yahweh, —In the Coastlands of the Sea, unto the Name of Yahweh. God of Israel,

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 uttermost part of the earth, melodies, have we heard—Beauty, to the righteous one! But I had said—Ruin to me! Ruin to me! Woe to me! Traitors, have betrayed, Yea traitorously, have traitors betrayed!

17 Fear, the pit, and the snare are on you who inhabit the earth.

Terror and pit and snare, —are upon thee, O inhabitant 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.

So shall it be—He that fleeth from the sound of the terror! shall fall into the pit, And, he that getteth up out of the midst of the pit, shall be captured in the snare, —For, the windows on high, have opened, And shaken are the foundations of earth.

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

The earth breaketh, breaketh, —The earth crasheth, crasheth, The earth tottereth, tottereth;

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 staggereth—staggereth like a drunken man, And rocketh to and fro like a night-hut, —So shall be heavy upon her, her transgression, And she shall fall and not again rise.

21 It will happen in that day that the LORD will punish the army of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth.

And it shall be in that day, That Yahweh will bring punishment Upon the host of the height in the height, —And upon the kings of the ground on the ground.

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.

And they shall be swept together in a crowd, fettered for a pit, And shall be lowered into a dungeon, —And, after many days, shall they be punished.

23 Then the moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and glory will be before his elders.

Then shall blush the silvery moon, Then turn pale the glowing sun, —Because Yahweh of hosts hath become king In Mount Zion And in Jerusalem, And before his Elders in glory,