The Earth Judged

24 Look, the Lord is stripping the earth bare
and making it desolate.
He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants:
people and priest alike,
servant and master,
female servant and mistress,
buyer and seller,
lender and borrower,
creditor and debtor.
The earth will be stripped completely bare
and will be totally plundered,
for the Lord has spoken this message.(A)
The earth mourns and withers;
the world wastes away and withers;
the exalted people of the earth waste away.
The earth is polluted by its inhabitants,(B)
for they have transgressed teachings,
overstepped decrees,
and broken the permanent covenant.(C)
Therefore a curse has consumed the earth,(D)
and its inhabitants have become guilty;
the earth’s inhabitants have been burned,
and only a few survive.
The new wine mourns;(E)
the vine withers.
All the carousers now groan.
The joyful tambourines(F) have ceased.
The noise of the jubilant has stopped.
The joyful lyre has ceased.
They no longer sing and drink wine;
beer is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of chaos is shattered;(G)
every house is closed to entry.(H)
11 In the streets they cry[a] for wine.
All joy grows dark;
earth’s rejoicing goes into exile.
12 Only desolation remains in the city;
its gate has collapsed in ruins.
13 For this is how it will be on earth
among the nations:
like a harvested olive tree,
like a gleaning after a grape harvest.(I)
14 They raise their voices, they sing out;
they proclaim in the west
the majesty of the Lord.
15 Therefore, in the east honor the Lord!
In the coasts and islands of the west
honor the name of the Lord,
the God of Israel.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs:
The Splendor of the Righteous One.(J)
But I said, “I waste away! I waste away![b]
Woe is me.”
The treacherous act treacherously;
the treacherous deal very treacherously.(K)

17 Panic, pit, and trap await you(L)
who dwell on the earth.(M)
18 Whoever flees at the sound of panic
will fall into a pit,
and whoever escapes from the pit
will be caught in a trap.
For the floodgates on high are opened,(N)
and the foundations of the earth are shaken.(O)
19 The earth is completely devastated;
the earth is split open;
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard(P)
and sways like a hut.
Earth’s rebellion weighs it down,
and it falls, never to rise again.

21 On that day(Q) the Lord will punish
the army of the heights in the heights
and the kings of the ground on the ground.
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners in a pit.(R)
They will be confined to a dungeon;(S)
after many days they will be punished.
23 The moon will be put to shame
and the sun disgraced,
because the Lord of Armies will reign as king
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,
and he will display his glory
in the presence of his elders.(T)

Salvation and Judgment on That Day

25 Lord, you are my God;(U)
I will exalt you. I will praise your name,
for you have accomplished wonders,
plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.
For you have turned the city into a pile of rocks,(V)
a fortified city, into ruins;
the fortress of barbarians(W) is no longer a city;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore, a strong people will honor you.
The cities of violent nations will fear you.
For you have been a stronghold for the poor person,
a stronghold for the needy(X) in his distress,
a refuge from storms and a shade from heat.(Y)
When the breath of the violent
is like a storm against a wall,
like heat in a dry land,
you will subdue the uproar of barbarians.
As the shade of a cloud cools the heat of the day,
so he will silence the song of the violent.

On this mountain,[c](Z)
the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat,(AA)
a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat,[d] fine vintage wine.
On this mountain
he will swallow up the burial shroud,
the shroud over all the peoples,
the sheet covering all the nations.(AB)
When he has swallowed up death once and for all,(AC)
the Lord God will wipe away the tears
from every face(AD)
and remove his people’s disgrace(AE)
from the whole earth,
for the Lord has spoken.

On that day it will be said,
“Look, this is our God;
we have waited for him, and he has saved us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him.
Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”(AF)
10 For the Lord’s power will rest on this mountain.
But Moab(AG) will be trampled in his place[e]
as straw is trampled in a dung pile.

11 He will spread out his arms in the middle of it,
as a swimmer spreads out his arms to swim.
His pride will be brought low,
along with the trickery of his hands.(AH)
12 The high-walled fortress will be brought down,
thrown to the ground, to the dust.(AI)

The Song of Judah

26 On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city.
Salvation is established as walls and ramparts.(AJ)
Open the gates
so a righteous nation can come in—
one that remains faithful.
You will keep the mind that is dependent on you
in perfect peace,(AK)
for it is trusting in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!(AL)
For he has humbled those who live in lofty places—
an inaccessible city.(AM)
He brings it down; he brings it down to the ground;
he throws it to the dust.
Feet trample it,
the feet of the humble,
the steps of the poor.

God’s People Vindicated

The path of the righteous is level;(AN)
you clear a straight path for the righteous.
Yes, Lord, we wait for you
in the path of your judgments.
Our desire is for your name and renown.(AO)
I long for you in the night;(AP)
yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks you,
for when your judgments are in the land,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10 But if the wicked man is shown favor,
he does not learn righteousness.
In a righteous land he acts unjustly
and does not see the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted up to take action,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people
and be put to shame.
Let fire consume your adversaries.
12 Lord, you will establish peace for us,
for you have also done all our work for us.
13 Lord our God, lords other than you have owned[f] us,
but we remember your name alone.(AQ)

14 The dead do not live;
departed spirits do not rise up.
Indeed, you have punished and destroyed them;
you have wiped out all memory of them.(AR)
15 You have added to the nation, Lord.(AS)
You have added to the nation; you are honored.
You have expanded all the borders of the land.(AT)
16 Lord, they went to you in their distress;(AU)
they poured out whispered prayers
because your discipline fell on them.[g]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pains,(AV)
so we were before you, Lord.
18 We became pregnant, we writhed in pain;
we gave birth to wind.
We have won no victories on earth,
and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen.

19 Your dead will live; their bodies[h] will rise.(AW)
Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust!
For you will be covered with the morning dew,[i]
and the earth will bring out the departed spirits.

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms
and close your doors behind you.
Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed.(AX)
21 For look, the Lord is coming from his place(AY)
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.(AZ)
The earth will reveal the blood shed on it
and will no longer conceal her slain.

Footnotes

  1. 24:11 Lit streets she cries
  2. 24:16 Hb obscure
  3. 25:6 = Mount Zion
  4. 25:6 Lit wine, fat full of marrow
  5. 25:10 Or trampled under him
  6. 26:13 Or married
  7. 26:16 Hb obscure
  8. 26:19 Lit live; my body they
  9. 26:19 Lit For your dew is a dew of lights

The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth

24 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 the master as for his servant,
    for the 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 spoken(I) 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 defiled(N) 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 joyful timbrels(V) are stilled,
    the noise(W) of the revelers(X) has stopped,
    the joyful harp(Y) is silent.(Z)
No longer do they drink wine(AA) with a song;
    the beer is bitter(AB) to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city(AC) lies desolate;(AD)
    the entrance to every house is barred.
11 In the streets they cry out(AE) for wine;(AF)
    all joy turns to gloom,(AG)
    all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
12 The city is left in ruins,(AH)
    its gate(AI) is battered to pieces.
13 So will it be on the earth
    and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,(AJ)
    or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.(AK)

14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy;(AL)
    from the west(AM) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east(AN) give glory(AO) to the Lord;
    exalt(AP) the name(AQ) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands(AR) of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth(AS) we hear singing:(AT)
    “Glory(AU) to the Righteous One.”(AV)

But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!(AW)
    Woe(AX) to me!
The treacherous(AY) betray!
    With treachery the treacherous betray!(AZ)
17 Terror(BA) and pit and snare(BB) await you,
    people of the earth.(BC)
18 Whoever flees(BD) at the sound of terror
    will fall into a pit;(BE)
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare.(BF)

The floodgates of the heavens(BG) are opened,
    the foundations of the earth shake.(BH)
19 The earth is broken up,(BI)
    the earth is split asunder,(BJ)
    the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth reels like a drunkard,(BK)
    it sways like a hut(BL) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion(BM)
    that it falls(BN)—never to rise again.(BO)

21 In that day(BP) the Lord will punish(BQ)
    the powers(BR) in the heavens above
    and the kings(BS) on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
    like prisoners(BT) bound in a dungeon;(BU)
they will be shut up in prison
    and be punished[a] after many days.(BV)
23 The moon will be dismayed,
    the sun(BW) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign(BX)
    on Mount Zion(BY) and in Jerusalem,
    and before its elders—with great glory.(BZ)

Praise to the Lord

25 Lord, you are my God;(CA)
    I will exalt you and praise your name,(CB)
for in perfect faithfulness(CC)
    you have done wonderful things,(CD)
    things planned(CE) long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,(CF)
    the fortified(CG) town a ruin,(CH)
the foreigners’ stronghold(CI) a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.(CJ)
Therefore strong peoples will honor you;(CK)
    cities of ruthless(CL) nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge(CM) for the poor,(CN)
    a refuge for the needy(CO) in their distress,
a shelter from the storm(CP)
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless(CQ)
    is like a storm driving against a wall
    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence(CR) the uproar of foreigners;(CS)
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless(CT) is stilled.

On this mountain(CU) the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast(CV) of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.(CW)
On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud(CX) that enfolds all peoples,(CY)
the sheet that covers all nations;
    he will swallow up death(CZ) forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears(DA)
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace(DB)
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.(DC)

In that day(DD) they will say,

“Surely this is our God;(DE)
    we trusted(DF) in him, and he saved(DG) us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
    let us rejoice(DH) and be glad in his salvation.”(DI)

10 The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain;(DJ)
    but Moab(DK) will be trampled in their land
    as straw is trampled down in the manure.
11 They will stretch out their hands in it,
    as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim.
God will bring down(DL) their pride(DM)
    despite the cleverness[b] of their hands.
12 He will bring down your high fortified walls(DN)
    and lay them low;(DO)
he will bring them down to the ground,
    to the very dust.

A Song of Praise

26 In that day(DP) this song will be sung(DQ) in the land of Judah:

We have a strong city;(DR)
    God makes salvation
    its walls(DS) and ramparts.(DT)
Open the gates(DU)
    that the righteous(DV) nation may enter,
    the nation that keeps faith.
You will keep in perfect peace(DW)
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust(DX) in you.
Trust(DY) in the Lord forever,(DZ)
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock(EA) eternal.
He humbles those who dwell on high,
    he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground(EB)
    and casts it down to the dust.(EC)
Feet trample(ED) it down—
    the feet of the oppressed,(EE)
    the footsteps of the poor.(EF)

The path of the righteous is level;(EG)
    you, the Upright One,(EH) make the way of the righteous smooth.(EI)
Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,[c](EJ)
    we wait(EK) for you;
your name(EL) and renown
    are the desire of our hearts.
My soul yearns for you in the night;(EM)
    in the morning my spirit longs(EN) for you.
When your judgments(EO) come upon the earth,
    the people of the world learn righteousness.(EP)
10 But when grace is shown to the wicked,(EQ)
    they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil(ER)
    and do not regard(ES) the majesty of the Lord.
11 Lord, your hand is lifted high,(ET)
    but they do not see(EU) it.
Let them see your zeal(EV) for your people and be put to shame;(EW)
    let the fire(EX) reserved for your enemies consume them.

12 Lord, you establish peace(EY) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done(EZ) for us.
13 Lord our God, other lords(FA) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name(FB) alone do we honor.(FC)
14 They are now dead,(FD) they live no more;
    their spirits(FE) do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;(FF)
    you wiped out all memory of them.(FG)
15 You have enlarged the nation, Lord;
    you have enlarged the nation.(FH)
You have gained glory for yourself;
    you have extended all the borders(FI) of the land.

16 Lord, they came to you in their distress;(FJ)
    when you disciplined(FK) them,
    they could barely whisper(FL) a prayer.[d]
17 As a pregnant woman about to give birth(FM)
    writhes and cries out in her pain,
    so were we in your presence, Lord.
18 We were with child, we writhed in labor,
    but we gave birth(FN) to wind.
We have not brought salvation(FO) to the earth,
    and the people of the world have not come to life.(FP)

19 But your dead(FQ) will live, Lord;
    their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust(FR)
    wake up and shout for joy—
your dew(FS) is like the dew of the morning;
    the earth will give birth to her dead.(FT)

20 Go, my people, enter your rooms
    and shut the doors(FU) behind you;
hide(FV) yourselves for a little while
    until his wrath(FW) has passed by.(FX)
21 See, the Lord is coming(FY) out of his dwelling(FZ)
    to punish(GA) the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood(GB) shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 24:22 Or released
  2. Isaiah 25:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments
  4. Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.