Isaiah 24

The Lord’s Judgment on the Whole Earth

1 Look, the Lord is about to empty the earth, wreck it, twist it up, and scatter its people.

2 Everybody is going to get hit the same, priest and people, master and servant, boss and worker, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, rich and poor.

3 The earth will be completely emptied and totally plundered, because the Lord Himself said it.

4 The earth dries up and fades; the world withers away; even the high and mighty fade with it.

5 The earth is defiled by its people, they broke the laws, disrespected the commandments, and violated the everlasting covenant.

6 So the curse has burned the earth, and its people pay the price. Only a few are left alive.

The Joy of the Earth Is Gone

7 The new wine dries up, the vineyards shrivel, and all the happy hearts are gone.

8 The music of the tambourine stops; the party is over, and the joyful sound of the harp is silent.

9 No one drinks wine and sings anymore, strong drink now tastes bitter to those who drink it.

10 The city of chaos is broken down; every house locked up so no one can go in.

11 People cry out in the streets for wine, all joy is gone, celebration is dead.

12 The city’s left in ruins; the gates shattered to pieces.

The Few Who Remain Give Glory to God

13 That is how it will be on the earth, like when people beat the last olives off a tree or gather the leftover grapes after harvest.

14 Those who survive will raise their voices and shout for joy; from the west, they will glorify the Lord’s majesty.

15 So give glory to the Lord in the east too, praise the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.

16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs, “Glory to the Righteous One!” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am ruined! Traitors still betray, yes, they keep on betraying!”

Terror and Destruction Everywhere

17 Terror, pit, and trap await you, people of the earth.

18 Whoever runs from the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will get caught in a trap. The windows of heaven are open, and the earth’s foundations are shaking.

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

20 The earth staggers like a drunk, sways like a hut in the wind. Its sin is too heavy for it, it falls and will not get back up.

The Lord Reigns in Glory

21 On that day, the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.

22 They will be gathered up like prisoners in a pit, locked up in prison, and after many days they will be punished.

23 The moon will be humiliated, the sun ashamed, because the Lord of Armies will rule on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, His glory shining in front of His elders.