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Isaiah 24-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 24-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Impending Judgment on the Earth
24 Now the Lord is about to lay waste the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.(A)
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the male slave, so with his master;
as with the female slave, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the creditor, so with the debtor.(B)
3 The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled,
for the Lord has spoken this word.(C)
4 The earth dries up and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the heavens languish together with the earth.
5 The earth lies polluted
under its inhabitants,
for they have transgressed laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.(D)
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled,
and few people are left.(E)
7 The wine dries up;
the vine languishes;
all the merry-hearted sigh.(F)
8 The mirth of the timbrels is stilled;
the noise of the jubilant has ceased;
the mirth of the lyre is stilled.(G)
9 No longer do they drink wine with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of chaos is broken down;
every house is shut up so that no one can enter.(H)
11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
all joy has reached its eventide;
the gladness of the earth is banished.(I)
12 Desolation is left in the city;
the gates are battered into ruins.
13 For thus it shall be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is ended.(J)
14 They lift up their voices; they sing for joy;
they shout from the west over the majesty of the Lord.(K)
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord;
in the coastlands of the sea glorify the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.(L)
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to the Righteous One.
But I say, “I pine away;
I pine away. Woe is me!
For the treacherous deal treacherously;
the treacherous deal very treacherously.”(M)
17 Terror, the pit, and the snare
are upon you, O inhabitants of the earth!(N)
18 Whoever flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit,
and whoever climbs out of the pit
shall be caught in the snare.
For the windows of heaven are opened,
and the foundations of the earth tremble.(O)
19 The earth is utterly broken;
the earth is torn apart;
the earth is violently shaken.(P)
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard;
it sways like a hut;
its transgression lies heavy upon it,
and it falls and will not rise again.(Q)
21 On that day the Lord will punish
the host of heaven in heaven
and on earth the kings of the earth.(R)
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days they will be punished.(S)
23 Then the moon will be abashed
and the sun ashamed,
for the Lord of hosts will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before his elders he will be glorified.(T)
Praise for Deliverance from Oppression
25 O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.(U)
2 For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of foreigners is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.(V)
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,(W)
5 the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.(X)
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.(Y)
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the covering that is spread over all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.(Z)
9 It will be said on that day,
“See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”(AA)
10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
The Moabites shall be trodden down in their place
as straw is trodden down in the manure.(AB)
11 Though they spread out their hands in the midst of it,
as swimmers spread out their hands to swim,
their pride will be laid low despite the struggle[a] of their hands.
12 The high fortifications of his walls will be brought down,
laid low, cast to the ground, even to the dust.
Judah’s Song of Victory
26 On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
he sets up walls and bulwarks as a safeguard.(AC)
2 Open the gates,
so that the righteous nation that maintains faithfulness
may enter in.(AD)
3 Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace,
in peace because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for in the Lord God[b]
you have an everlasting rock.(AE)
5 For he has brought low
the inhabitants of the height;
the lofty city he lays low.
He lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.(AF)
6 The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.(AG)
7 The way of the righteous is level;
straight is the path of the righteous that you clear.(AH)
8 In the path of your judgments,
O Lord, we have placed hope;
your name and your renown
are the soul’s desire.(AI)
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.(AJ)
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
they corrupt what is upright on the earth
and do not see the majesty of the Lord.(AK)
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.(AL)
12 O Lord, may you ordain peace for us,
for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.(AM)
13 O Lord our God,
other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but we acknowledge your name alone.(AN)
14 The dead do not live;
shades do not rise
because you have punished and destroyed them
and wiped out all memory of them.(AO)
15 But you have increased the nation, O Lord;
you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
you have enlarged all the borders of the land.(AP)
16 O Lord, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a prayer[c]
when your chastening was on them.(AQ)
17 Like a woman with child
about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so were we because of you, O Lord;(AR)
18 we were with child; we writhed,
but we gave birth only to wind.
We have won no victories on earth,
and no one is born to inhabit the world.(AS)
19 Your dead shall live; their corpses[d] shall rise.
Those who dwell in the dust will awake and shout for joy![e]
For your dew is a radiant dew,
and the earth will give birth to those long dead.[f](AT)
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the wrath is past.(AU)
21 For the Lord comes out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
the earth will disclose the blood shed on it
and will no longer cover its slain.(AV)
Isaiah 24-26
New International Version
Isaiah 24-26
New International Version
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—
2 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)
3 The earth will be completely laid waste(G)
and totally plundered.(H)
The Lord has spoken(I) this word.
4 The earth dries up(J) and withers,(K)
the world languishes and withers,
the heavens(L) languish with the earth.(M)
5 The earth is defiled(N) by its people;
they have disobeyed(O) the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.(P)
6 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.
7 The new wine dries up(S) and the vine withers;(T)
all the merrymakers groan.(U)
8 The joyful timbrels(V) are stilled,
the noise(W) of the revelers(X) has stopped,
the joyful harp(Y) is silent.(Z)
9 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.
2 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)
3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you;(CK)
cities of ruthless(CL) nations will revere you.
4 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
5 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.
6 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)
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud(CX) that enfolds all peoples,(CY)
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 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)
9 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)
2 Open the gates(DU)
that the righteous(DV) nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
3 You will keep in perfect peace(DW)
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust(DX) in you.
4 Trust(DY) in the Lord forever,(DZ)
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock(EA) eternal.
5 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)
6 Feet trample(ED) it down—
the feet of the oppressed,(EE)
the footsteps of the poor.(EF)
7 The path of the righteous is level;(EG)
you, the Upright One,(EH) make the way of the righteous smooth.(EI)
8 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.
9 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
- Isaiah 24:22 Or released
- Isaiah 25:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Isaiah 26:8 Or judgments
- Isaiah 26:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.