Isaiah 24-27

New International Version

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)

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)

“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.

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.

the Lord will punish with his sword^(GD)—
    his fierce, great and powerful sword—
Leviathan^(GE) the gliding serpent,^(GF)
    Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster^(GG) of the sea.

“Sing^(GI) about a fruitful vineyard:^(GJ)
3     I, the Lord, watch over it;
    I water^(GK) it continually.
I guard^(GL) it day and night
    so that no one may harm^(GM) it.
⁴     I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
    I would march against them in battle;
    I would set them all on fire.^(GN)
5 Or else let them come to me for refuge;^(GO)
    let them make peace^(GP) with me,
    yes, let them make peace with me.”

⁶ In days to come Jacob will take root,^(GQ)
    Israel will bud and blossom^(GR)
    and fill all the world with fruit.^(GS)

⁷ Has the Lord struck her
    as he struck^(GT) down those who struck her?
Has she been killed
    as those were killed who killed her?
⁸ By warfare^[e] and exile^(GU) you contend with her—
    with his fierce blast he drives her out,
    as on a day the east wind^(GV) blows.
⁹ By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned^(GW) for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:^(GX)
When he makes all the altar stones^(GY)
    to be like limestone crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles^[f](GZ) or incense altars^(HA)
    will be left standing.
¹⁰ The fortified city stands desolate,^(HB)
    an abandoned settlement, forsaken^(HC) like the wilderness;
there the calves graze,^(HD)
    there they lie down;^(HE)
    they strip its branches bare.
¹¹ When its twigs are dry, they are broken off^(HF)
    and women come and make fires^(HG) with them.
For this is a people without understanding;^(HH)
    so their Maker has no compassion on them,
    and their Creator^(HI) shows them no favor.^(HJ)