Isaiah 24

1 Behold, the Lord maketh empty the land, and layeth it waste, marreth its surface, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants.

Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants.

2 And it shall be with the people as with the priest; with the servant as with his master; with the bondwoman as with her mistress; with the buyer as with the seller; with the lender as with the borrower; with the debtor as with his creditor.

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 interest, so with the giver of interest to him.

3 Empty, emptied out shall be the land, and spoiled, utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word.

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

4 The land mourneth, withereth away, the world languishes, withereth away, the high ones of the people of the land do languish.

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

5 For the land was defiled under its inhabitants; because they had transgressed the laws, neglected the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

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

6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the land, and they that dwell therein suffer for their guilt; therefore are the inhabitants of the land dried up, and but few men are left.

Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell in it are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted sigh.

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

8 At rest is the mirth of the tambourines; ceased hath the tumult of the joyful; at rest is the mirth of the harp.

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

9 Amidst singing shall they no [more] drink wine; bitter shall be the strong drink to those that drink it.

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

10 Broken down is the city of desolation; shut up is every house that none can enter.

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

11 A [painful] cry for wine is in the streets; darkened is all joy; banished is the mirth of the land.

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

12 Destruction is left in the city, in ruins is beaten the gate.

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

13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the land among the nations, as [at] the shaking of an olive-tree, as [at] the gleaning of grains when the vintage is done.

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.

14 These shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; because of the majesty of the Lord, they shout aloud from the sea.

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

15 Therefore in the valleys honor ye the Lord; in the isles of the sea, the name of the Lord the God of Israel.

Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

16 From the edge of the earth have we heard songs, “Glory to the righteous.” But I said, “Evil is mine, evil is mine, woe is me! the treacherous have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously.”

From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

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

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

18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the call of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for the windows from on high are opened, and there quaked the foundations of the earth.

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.

19 Crushed entirely is the earth, split in pieces is the earth, shaken to its centre is the earth.

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

20 The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunkard, and vibrateth like a watch-hut; and heavily lieth upon it its transgression; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression of it shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21 And it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord will visit punishment on the host of heaven in heaven, and on the kings of the earth upon the earth.

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.

22 And they shall be gathered in heaps, as prisoners, in the prison, and shall be shut up in the dungeon, and thus after many days shall they be punished.

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.

23 And the moon shall be put to the blush, and the sun be made ashamed; for the Lord of hosts will reign on mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients in glory.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign on mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.