Isaiah 24

Revised Geneva Translation

24 Behold, the LORD lays waste to the Earth and makes it empty. He turns it upside down and scatters abroad its inhabitants.

² And as with people, so it shall be with priest; as with servant, so with master; as with maid, so with mistress; as with buyer, so with seller; as with lender, so with borrower; as with creditor, so with debtor.

³ The Earth shall be completely emptied and utterly plundered. For the LORD has spoken this Word.

⁴ The Earth laments and fades away. The world languishes and withers. The proud people of the Earth are weakened.

⁵ The Earth also deceives, because of its inhabitants. For they transgressed the Laws. They changed the Ordinances, broke the everlasting Covenant.

⁶ Therefore, the curse has devoured the Earth, and its inhabitants are desolate. Therefore, the inhabitants of the land are burned up. And few men are left.

⁷ The wine fails. The vine has no might. All who were of merry heart, mourn.

⁸ The rejoicing of tambourines ends. The noise of those who rejoice stops. The joy of the harp ceases.

⁹ They shall not drink wine with joy. Strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.

¹⁰ The city of vanity has broken down. Every house is shut up, so that no one may come in.

¹¹ There is a crying for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened. The mirth of the world has gone away.

¹² In the cities, desolation is left. And the gate is stricken with destruction.

¹³ Surely, thus it shall be in the midst of the Earth, among the people, as the shaking of an olive tree, as the grapes when the vintage has ended.

¹⁴ They shall lift up their voice. They shall shout for the magnificence of the LORD. They shall rejoice from the sea.

¹⁵ Therefore, praise the LORD in the valleys, the Name of the LORD God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.

¹⁶ From the outermost part of the Earth we have heard praises, glory to the just. And I said, “My leanness! My leanness! Woe to me! The transgressors have offended. Yea, the transgressors have grievously offended.”

¹⁷ Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the Earth!

¹⁸ And he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up out 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 has utterly broken down. The Earth has completely dissolved. The Earth has moved exceedingly.

²⁰ The Earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man, and shall be removed like a tent. And its iniquity shall be heavy upon it, so that it shall fall and rise no more.

²¹ And on that day, the LORD shall visit the host above that is on high, the kings of the world that are upon the Earth.

²² And they shall be gathered together as the prisoners in the pit. And they shall be shut up in the prison. And after many days, they shall be visited.

²³ Then the Moon shall be ashamed, and the Sun, when the LORD of Hosts shall reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. And glory shall be before His ancient men.