Isaiah 24

1Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.footnote a

2And 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.footnote b

3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.

4The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.footnote c

5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

6Therefore 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.

7The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

12In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13When 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.

14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.footnote d

16From 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.footnote efootnote f

17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

18And 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.

19The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

20The 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.

21And 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.footnote g

22And 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.footnote hfootnote ifootnote j

23Then 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.footnote k

God’s Judgment on the Earth

1Behold, the LORD lays waste the earthand leaves it in ruins.He will twist its surfaceand scatter its inhabitants— 2people and priest alike, servant and master,maid and mistress, buyer and seller,lender and borrower, creditor and debtor. 3The earth will be utterly laid wasteand thoroughly plundered.For the LORD has spoken this word. 4The earth mourns and withers;the world languishes and fades;the exalted of the earth waste away. 5The earth is defiled by its people;they have transgressed the laws;they have overstepped the decreesand broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore 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.

7The new wine dries up, the vine withers.All the merrymakers now groan. 8The joyful tambourines have ceased;the noise of revelers has stopped;the joyful harp is silent. 9They no longer sing and drink wine;strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

10The city of chaos is shattered;every house is closed to entry. 11In the streets they cry out for wine.All joy turns to gloom;rejoicing is exiled from the land. 12The city is left in ruins;its gate is reduced to rubble. 13So will it be on the earthand among the nations,like a harvested olive tree,like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

14They raise their voices, they shout for joy;from the westfootnote athey proclaim the majesty of the LORD. 15Therefore glorify the LORD in the east.Extol the name of the LORD, the God of Israelin the islandsfootnote bof the sea. 16From 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. 17Terror and pit and snare await you,O dweller of the earth. 18Whoever flees the sound of panicwill fall into the pit,and whoever climbs from the pitwill be caught in the snare.For the windows of heaven are open,and the foundations of the earth are shaken. 19The earth is utterly broken apart,the earth is split open,the earth is shaken violently. 20The earth staggers like a drunkardand sways like a shack.Earth’s rebellion weighs it down,and it falls, never to rise again.

21In that day the LORD will punishthe host of heaven aboveand the kings of the earth below. 22They will be gathered togetherlike prisoners in a pit.They will be confined to a dungeonand punished after many days. 23The moon will be confoundedand the sun will be ashamed;for the LORD of Hosts will reignon Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,and before His elders with great glory.