Isaiah 24
1Behold, GOD will strip the earth bare,And lay it waste,And twist its surface,And scatter its inhabitants.
2Laity and priest shall fare alike,Slave and master,Handmaid and mistress,Buyer and seller,Lender and borrower,Creditor and debtor.
3The earth shall be bare, bare;It shall be plundered, plundered;For it is GOD who spoke this word.
4The earth is withered, sear;The world languishes, it is sear;The most exalted people of the earth languish.
5For the earth was defiledUnder its inhabitants;Because they transgressed teachings,Violated laws,Broke the ancient covenant.
6That is why a curse consumes the earth,And its inhabitants pay the penalty;That is why earth’s dwellers have dwindled,And but few people are left.
7The new wine fails,The vine languishes;And all the merry-hearted sigh.
8Stilled is the merriment of hand-drums,Ended the clamor of revelers,Stilled the merriment of lyres.
9They drink their wine without song;Liquor tastes bitter to the drinker.
10Towns are broken, empty;Every house is shut, none enter;
11Even over wine, a cry goes up in the streets:The sun has set on all joy,The gladness of the earth is banished.
12Desolation is left in the townAnd the gate is battered to ruins.
13For thus shall it be among the peoplesIn the midst of the earth:As when the olive tree is beaten out,Like gleanings when the vintage is over.
14These shall lift up their voices,Exult in GOD’s majesty.They shall shout from the sea:
15Therefore, honor GOD with lightsIn the coastlands of the sea—The name of the ETERNAL, the God of Israel.
16From the end of the earthWe hear singing:Glory to the righteous!And I said: I waste away! I waste away! Woe is me!The faithless have acted faithlessly;The faithless have broken faith!], foolish villain! / The faithless who acted faithlessly / Have been betrayed in turn.”
17Terror, and pit, and trap. Upon you who dwell on earth!
18Whoever flees at the report of the terrorShall fall into the pit;And whoever climbs out of the pitShall be caught in the trap.For sluices are opened on high,And earth’s foundations tremble.
19The earth is breaking, breaking;The earth is crumbling, crumbling.The earth is tottering, tottering;
20The earth is swaying like a drunkard;It is rocking to and fro like a hut.Its iniquity shall weigh it down,And it shall fall, to rise no more.
21In that day, GOD will punishThe host of heaven in heavenAnd the kings of the earth on earth.
22They shall be gathered in a dungeonAs captives are gathered;And shall be locked up in a prison.But after many days they shall be remembered.
23Then the moon shall be ashamed,And the sun shall be abashed.For GOD of Hosts will reignOn Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,And the Presence will be revealed to God’s elders.