Judgment on the Whole Earth

24 Behold, (A)the Lord will empty the earth[a] and make it desolate,
    and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
(B)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;
(C)as with the buyer, so with the seller;
    as with the lender, so with the borrower;
    (D)as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
(E)The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
    (F)for the Lord has spoken this word.

(G)The earth mourns and withers;
    the world languishes and withers;
    the highest people of the earth languish.
The earth lies (H)defiled
    under its inhabitants;
for (I)they have transgressed the laws,
    violated the statutes,
    broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore (J)a curse devours the earth,
    and its inhabitants (K)suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
    and few men are left.
(L)The wine mourns,
    the vine languishes,
    all the merry-hearted sigh.
(M)The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,
    the noise of the jubilant has ceased,
    the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
No more do they drink wine (N)with singing;
    strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 (O)The wasted city is broken down;
    (P)every house is shut up so that none can enter.
11 (Q)There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
    (R)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,
(S)as when an olive tree is beaten,
    as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 24:1 Or land; also throughout this chapter

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)

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