Isaiah 24

The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth

See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth^a

and devastate^b it;

he will ruin its face

and scatter^c its inhabitants—

it will be the same

for priest as for people,^d

for master as for his servant,

for mistress as for her servant,

for seller as for buyer,^e

for borrower as for lender,

for debtor as for creditor.^f

The earth will be completely laid waste^g

and totally plundered.^h

The Lord has spokenⁱ this word.

The earth dries up^j and withers,^k

the world languishes and withers,

the heavens^l languish with the earth.^m

The earth is defiledⁿ by its people;

they have disobeyed^o the laws,

violated the statutes

and broken the everlasting covenant.^p

Therefore a curse^q consumes the earth;

its people must bear their guilt.

Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,^r

and very few are left.

The new wine dries up^s and the vine withers;^t

all the merrymakers groan.^u

The gaiety of the timbrels^v is stilled,

the noise^w of the revelers^x has stopped,

the joyful harp^y is silent.^z

No longer do they drink wine^a with a song;

the beer is bitter^b to its drinkers.

The ruined city^c lies desolate;^d

the entrance to every house is barred.

In the streets they cry out^e for wine;^f

all joy turns to gloom,^g

all gaiety is banished from the earth.

The city is left in ruins,^h

its gateⁱ is battered to pieces.

So will it be on the earth

and among the nations,

as when an olive tree is beaten,^j

or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.^k

They raise their voices, they shout for joy;^l

from the west^m they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.

Therefore in the eastⁿ give glory^o to the Lord;

exalt^p the name^q of the Lord, the God of Israel,

in the islands^r of the sea.

From the ends of the earth^s we hear singing:^t

“Glory^u to the Righteous One.”^v

But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!^w

Woe^x to me!

The treacherous^y betray!

With treachery the treacherous betray!^z”

Terror^a and pit and snare^b await you,

people of the earth.^c

Whoever flees^d at the sound of terror

will fall into a pit;^e

whoever climbs out of the pit

will be caught in a snare.^f

The floodgates of the heavens^g are opened,

the foundations of the earth shake.^h

The earth is broken up,ⁱ

the earth is split asunder,^j

the earth is violently shaken.

The earth reels like a drunkard,^k

it sways like a hut^l in the wind;

so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion^m

that it fallsⁿ—never to rise again.^o

In that day^p the Lord will punish^q

the powers^r in the heavens above

and the kings^s on the earth below.

They will be herded together

like prisoners^t bound in a dungeon;^u

they will be shut up in prison

and be punished after many days.^v

The moon will be dismayed,

the sun^w ashamed;

for the Lord Almighty will reign^x

on Mount Zion^y and in Jerusalem,

and before its elders—with great glory.^z