Isaiah 24

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

2It will be the same for people as for priest, for servant as for his master, for maid as for her mistress, for buyer as for seller, for lender as for borrower, for creditor as for debtor.

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

4The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the exalted among the people of the earth languish.

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

6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it bear their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned up, and few people are left.

7The new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all the merry-hearted groan.

8The joy of the tambourines has stopped; the noise of the revelers has ended; the joy of the harp has stopped.

9They no longer drink wine with a song; beer is bitter to those who drink it.

10The city of chaos is broken down; every house is shut so that no one can enter.

11In the streets there is an outcry over wine; all joy has turned to gloom; the gladness of the earth has gone into exile.

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

13For so it will be in the middle of the earth, among the peoples, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is over.

14They lift up their voices, they shout for joy; they cry out from the west over the majesty of Yahweh.

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

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

17Terror and pit and snare are upon you, you who live on the earth!

18Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.

19The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split wide open, the earth is violently shaken.

20The earth staggers like a drunkard; it sways like a hut; its rebellion lies heavy on it, and it falls and will not rise again.

21On that day Yahweh will punish the host of the heights on high and the kings of the earth on the earth.

22They 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.

23Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for Yahweh of Armies will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders there will be glory.