Isaiah 24
Modern English Version
Judgment on the Earth
24 Now the Lord makes the earth empty,
and makes it waste,
and turns it upside down,
and scatters its inhabitants abroad.
2 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 creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied,
and utterly despoiled,
for the Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth mourns and fades away,
the world languishes and fades away,
the haughty people of the earth languish.
5 The earth also is defiled by its inhabitants
because they have transgressed the laws,
violated the ordinances,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore, the curse devours the earth,
and those who dwell in it are held guilty.
Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned,
and few men are left.
7 The new wine fails, the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The joy of tambourines ceases,
the noise of those who rejoice ends,
the joy of the harp ceases.
9 They shall not drink wine with song;
strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of confusion is broken down;
every house is shut up so that no one may come in.
11 There is an outcry for wine in the streets,
all joy is turned to gloom,
the joyfulness of the earth is gone.
12 Desolation is left in the city,
and the gate is battered to destruction.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
among the peoples,
as the shaking of an olive tree,
and as the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.
14 They lift up their voices; they sing for the majesty of the Lord;
they cry aloud from the west.
15 Therefore glorify the Lord in the east,
even the name of the Lord God of Israel
in the coastlands of the sea.
16 From the uttermost part of the earth we hear songs,
that is, “Glory to the Righteous One.”
But I say, Woe to me! Woe to me!
Alas for me!
The treacherous deal treacherously;
indeed, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
17 Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you,
O inhabitant of the earth.
18 He who flees from the report of disaster
shall fall into the pit,
and he who comes 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 shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down,
the earth is split through,
the earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard,
and it totters like a shack,
and its transgression is heavy upon it,
and it shall fall, never to rise again.
21 In that day the Lord shall punish
the host of heaven on high
and the kings of the earth on the earth.
22 They shall be gathered together,
as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon,
and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days they shall be punished.
23 Then the moon shall be humiliated and the sun ashamed,
when the Lord of Hosts reigns
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and His glory shall be before His elders.
Isaiah 24
American Standard Version
24 Behold, Jehovah maketh the [a]earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2 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 creditor, so with the debtor; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest to him. 3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and utterly laid waste; for Jehovah hath spoken this word. 4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, [b]the lofty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 7 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh. 8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. 9 They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. 10 The waste city is broken down; every house is shut up, that no man may come in. 11 There is a crying in the streets because of the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is [c]gone. 12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. 13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as the [d]shaking of an olive-tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done.
14 These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of Jehovah they cry aloud from the sea. 15 Wherefore glorify ye Jehovah in the [e]east, even the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel, in the [f]isles of the sea. 16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous.
But I said, [g]I pine away, I pine away, woe is me! the treacherous have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously. 17 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 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 on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. 19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently. 20 The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will [h]punish the host of the [i]high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the [j]pit, and shall be shut up in the prison; and after many days shall they be [k]visited. 23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Jehovah of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 24:1 Or, land (and so in verses 3, 4, etc.)
- Isaiah 24:4 Or, the high ones of the people
- Isaiah 24:11 Hebrew gone into captivity.
- Isaiah 24:13 Hebrew beating.
- Isaiah 24:15 Or, lights. Or, fires
- Isaiah 24:15 Or, coast-lands
- Isaiah 24:16 Hebrew Leanness to me.
- Isaiah 24:21 Hebrew visit upon.
- Isaiah 24:21 Hebrew height.
- Isaiah 24:22 Or, dungeon
- Isaiah 24:22 Or, punished
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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