Judgment on the Earth

24 Behold, the Lord (A)lays the earth waste, devastates it, twists its surface, and scatters its inhabitants. And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the female servant like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the (B)creditor like the debtor. The earth will be completely laid waste and completely plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. The (C)earth dries up and crumbles away, the mainland dries out and crumbles away, the (D)exalted of the people of the earth dwindle. The earth is also (E)defiled [a]by its inhabitants, for they violated laws, altered statutes, and (F)broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a (G)curse devours the earth, and those who live on it suffer for their guilt. Therefore, the (H)inhabitants of the earth decrease in number, and few people are left.

The (I)new wine mourns,
The vine decays,
All the joyful-hearted sigh.
The (J)joy of tambourines ceases,
The noise of revelers stops,
The joy of the harp ceases.
They do not drink wine with song;
(K)Intoxicating drink is (L)bitter to those who drink it.
10 The (M)city of chaos is broken down;
(N)Every house is shut up so that no one may enter.
11 There is an (O)outcry in the streets concerning the wine;
(P)All joy [b]turns to gloom.
The joy of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city
And the (Q)gate is battered to ruins.
13 For (R)so it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples,
As the [c]shaking of an olive tree,
As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.
14 (S)They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
They cry out from the [d]west concerning the majesty of the Lord.
15 Therefore (T)glorify the Lord in the [e]east,
The (U)name of the Lord, the God of Israel,
In the [f](V)coastlands of the sea.
16 From the (W)ends of the earth we hear songs: “(X)Glory to the Righteous One,”
But I say, “[g]I am finished! I am finished! Woe to me!
The (Y)treacherous deal treacherously,
And the treacherous deal very treacherously.”
17 (Z)Terror and pit and snare
[h]Confront you, you inhabitant of the earth.
18 Then it will be that the one who flees the sound of terror will fall into the pit,
And the one who [i]climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare;
For the (AA)windows [j]above are opened, and the (AB)foundations of the earth shake.
19 (AC)The earth is broken apart,
The earth is (AD)split through,
The earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth (AE)trembles like a heavy drinker
And sways like a hut,
For its (AF)wrongdoing is heavy upon it,
And it will fall, (AG)never to rise again.
21 So it will happen on that day,
That the Lord will (AH)punish the rebellious [k](AI)angels of [l]heaven on high,
And the (AJ)kings of the earth on earth.
22 They will be gathered together
Like (AK)prisoners in the [m]dungeon,
And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will (AL)be punished.
23 Then the (AM)moon will be ashamed and the sun be put to shame,
For the (AN)Lord of armies will reign on (AO)Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
And His glory will be before His elders.

Song of Praise for God’s Favor

25 Lord, You are (AP)my God;
I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
For You have (AQ)worked wonders,
(AR)Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.
For You have turned a city into a (AS)heap,
A (AT)fortified city into a ruin;
A (AU)palace of strangers is no longer a city,
It will never be rebuilt.
Therefore a strong people will (AV)glorify You;
(AW)Cities of ruthless nations will revere You.
For You have been a (AX)stronghold for the helpless,
A stronghold for the poor in his distress,
A (AY)refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;
For the breath of the (AZ)ruthless
Is like a rain storm against a wall.
Like heat in a dry land, You subdue the (BA)uproar of foreigners;
Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is [n]silenced.

(BB)Now the Lord of armies will prepare a [o]lavish banquet for (BC)all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of [p]aged wine, [q]choice pieces with marrow,
And [r]refined, aged wine.
And on this mountain He will destroy the [s](BD)covering which is over all peoples,
The veil which is [t]stretched over all nations.
He will [u](BE)swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord [v]God will (BF)wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the (BG)disgrace of His people from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
And it will be said on that day,
“Behold, (BH)this is our God for whom we have (BI)waited [w]that (BJ)He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
(BK)Let’s rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,
And (BL)Moab will be trampled down in his place
As straw is trampled down in the water of a manure pile.
11 And he will (BM)spread out his hands in the middle of it
As a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim,
But the Lord will (BN)lay low his pride together with the trickery of his hands.
12 The (BO)unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down,
Lay low, and throw to the ground, to the dust.

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

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

“We have a (BQ)strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for [x](BR)security.
Open the (BS)gates, that the (BT)righteous nation may enter,
The one that [y]remains faithful.
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect (BU)peace,
Because he trusts in You.
(BV)Trust in the Lord forever,
For in [z]God the Lord, we have an everlasting (BW)Rock.
For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the (BX)unassailable city;
(BY)He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.
(BZ)The foot will trample it,
The feet of the (CA)poor, the steps of the helpless.”

The (CB)way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, (CC)make the path of the righteous level.
Indeed, while following the way of (CD)Your judgments, Lord,
We have waited for You eagerly;
(CE)Your name, and (CF)remembering You, is the desire of our souls.
(CG)At night [aa]my soul longs for You,
Indeed, [ab]my spirit within me (CH)seeks You diligently;
For when the earth [ac]experiences Your judgments,
The inhabitants of the world (CI)learn righteousness.
10 Though the wicked person is shown compassion,
He does not (CJ)learn righteousness;
He (CK)deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,
And does not perceive the majesty of the Lord.

11 Lord, Your hand is lifted up, yet they (CL)do not see it.
[ad]They see (CM)Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
Indeed, [ae](CN)fire will devour Your enemies.
12 Lord, You will establish (CO)peace for us,
Since You have also performed for us all our works.
13 Lord, our God, (CP)other masters besides You have ruled us;
But through You alone we [af](CQ)confess Your name.
14 (CR)The dead will not live, the [ag]departed spirits will not rise;
Therefore You have (CS)punished and destroyed them,
And You have eliminated all remembrance of them.
15 (CT)You have increased the nation, Lord,
You have increased the nation, You are glorified;
You have (CU)extended all the borders of the land.
16 Lord, they sought You (CV)in distress;
They [ah]could only whisper a prayer,
Your discipline was upon them.
17 (CW)As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains;
This is how we were before You, Lord.
18 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We (CX)gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were (CY)inhabitants of the world [ai]born.
19 Your (CZ)dead will live;
[aj]Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, (DA)awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the [ak]dawn,
And the earth will [al]give birth to the [am]departed spirits.

20 Come, my people, (DB)enter your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little [an](DC)while
Until (DD)indignation [ao]runs its course.
21 For behold, the Lord is about to (DE)come out from His place
To (DF)punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wrongdoing;
And the earth will (DG)reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover her slain.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 24:5 Lit under
  2. Isaiah 24:11 Lit is darkened
  3. Isaiah 24:13 Lit striking
  4. Isaiah 24:14 Lit sea
  5. Isaiah 24:15 Lit region of light
  6. Isaiah 24:15 Or islands
  7. Isaiah 24:16 Meaning uncertain
  8. Isaiah 24:17 Lit Are upon you
  9. Isaiah 24:18 Lit goes up from the midst of
  10. Isaiah 24:18 Lit from the height; i.e., heaven
  11. Isaiah 24:21 Lit host
  12. Isaiah 24:21 Lit the height in the height
  13. Isaiah 24:22 Lit pit
  14. Isaiah 25:5 Lit humbled
  15. Isaiah 25:6 Lit feast of fat things; i.e., abundance
  16. Isaiah 25:6 Lit wine on the lees
  17. Isaiah 25:6 Lit fat pieces
  18. Isaiah 25:6 Lit wine refined on the lees
  19. Isaiah 25:7 Lit face of the covering
  20. Isaiah 25:7 Lit woven
  21. Isaiah 25:8 I.e., destroy
  22. Isaiah 25:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  23. Isaiah 25:9 Or and He saved us
  24. Isaiah 26:1 Or salvation
  25. Isaiah 26:2 Lit keeps faithfulness
  26. Isaiah 26:4 Heb Yah, usually rendered Lord
  27. Isaiah 26:9 Lit with my soul I long
  28. Isaiah 26:9 Lit with my spirit...I seek
  29. Isaiah 26:9 Lit has
  30. Isaiah 26:11 Or Let them see...and be
  31. Isaiah 26:11 Or let the fire for Your adversaries devour them
  32. Isaiah 26:13 Or make Your name known
  33. Isaiah 26:14 Or shades
  34. Isaiah 26:16 Lit sound forth a whisper
  35. Isaiah 26:18 Lit fallen
  36. Isaiah 26:19 As in some ancient versions; MT My
  37. Isaiah 26:19 Lit lights
  38. Isaiah 26:19 Lit cause to fall
  39. Isaiah 26:19 Or shades
  40. Isaiah 26:20 Lit moment
  41. Isaiah 26:20 Lit passes over

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.