Judgment on the Whole Earth
ISAIAH 24 [†] Behold, c the LORD will empty the earth [1] and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2[†] d And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the slave, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress;
e as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
f as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
3 g The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
h for the LORD has spoken this word.
4[†] i The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.
under its inhabitants;
for k they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6[^][†] Therefore l a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants m suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.
the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 o The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,
the noise of the jubilant has ceased,
the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
9 No more do they drink wine p with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10[†] q The wasted city is broken down;
r every house is shut up so that none can enter.
11 s There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
t all joy has grown dark;
the gladness of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city;
the gates are battered into ruins.
13[†] For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the nations,
u as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
14[†] They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;
over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west. [2]
15 v Therefore in the east [3] give glory to the LORD;
in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
16[†] w From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to x the Righteous One.
But I say, “I waste away,
I waste away. Woe is me!
For y the traitors have betrayed,
with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.”
17[†] z Terror and the pit and the snare [4]
are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18[†] z He who flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit
shall be caught in the snare.
For a the windows of heaven are opened,
and b the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 The earth is utterly broken,
the earth is split apart,
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth c staggers like a drunken man;
it sways like a hut;
d its transgression lies heavy upon it,
and it falls, and will not rise again.
21[†] On that day the LORD will punish
the host of heaven, in heaven,
and e the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 f They will be gathered together
as prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days g they will be punished.
23[†] h Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for i the LORD of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.