Isaiah 24

1Behold, Yahweh is emptying the earth and laying it waste; he will distort its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

2And it shall be: as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the female servant, 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 one indebted to him.

3The earth will be utterly emptied and utterly plundered, for Yahweh has spoken this word.

4The earth mourns and withers; the world wastes away and withers; the exalted people of the earth waste away.

5The earth is defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed laws, violated a statute, and broken the everlasting covenant.

6Therefore a curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it bear their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

7The new wine mourns, the vine withers; all the glad of heart groan.

8The mirth of tambourines has ceased; the noise of the jubilant has stopped; the mirth of the lyre has ceased.

9They do not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

10The city of chaos is broken down; every house is shut up so that none may enter.

11There is an outcry over the wine in the streets; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth has gone away.

12Desolation is left in the city, and the gate is battered into ruins.

13For so it will be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples: like the beating of an olive tree, like gleanings when the grape harvest is finished.

14They lift up their voice; they shout for joy. At the majesty of Yahweh, they cry aloud from the sea.

15Therefore in the east give glory to Yahweh; in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

16From the edge of the earth we hear songs: “Glory to the righteous one.” But I say, “I waste away, I waste away. Woe is me!” The treacherous deal treacherously; with treachery the treacherous deal treacherously.

17Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, inhabitant of the earth.

18And it will happen: the one who flees from the sound of terror will fall into the pit, and the one who comes up from the midst of the pit will be caught in the trap; for the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.

19The earth is utterly shattered; the earth is completely broken apart; the earth is violently shaken.

20The earth will stagger like a drunkard, and sway back and forth like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it will fall and not rise again.

21And on that day the LORD will punish the host of the height in the height, and the kings of the earth on the earth.

22And they will be gathered together like prisoners into a pit, and they will be shut up in a prison; and after many days they will be punished.

23Then the moon will be ashamed, and the sun disgraced, for Yahweh of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders there is glory.