Isaiah 24
The LORD will lay waste the whole earth, making it empty and turning it upside down. The earth mourns and the merry-hearted sigh. The earth is utterly broken down. The LORD of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders He will be glorified.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. | The LORD is making the earth empty and laying it waste. He is twisting its surface and scattering its inhabitants. |
| 2 | And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. | The same fate shall come on the people and the priest, the servant and his master, the maid and her mistress, the buyer and the seller, the lender and the borrower, the creditor and the debtor. |
| 3 | The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. | The earth shall be utterly emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word. |
| 4 | The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. | The earth mourns and withers; the world fades and withers; the highest people of the earth fade away. |
| 5 | The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. | The earth is defiled by its inhabitants, for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. |
| 6 | Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. | Therefore a curse devours the earth; its inhabitants suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. |
| 7 | The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. | The wine mourns; the vine fades. All the merry-hearted sigh. |
| 8 | The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. | The joyful tambourines are stilled; the noise of the jubilant has ceased; the joyful harp is silent. |
| 9 | They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. | No longer do they drink wine with singing. Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. |
| 10 | The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. | The city of chaos is broken down; every house is locked up so no one can enter. |
| 11 | There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. | There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has turned to gloom; the gladness of the earth is banished. |
| 12 | In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. | Desolation is left in the city; the gate is battered to ruins. |
| 13 | When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. | For so it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations — as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done. |
| 14 | They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. | They lift up their voices; they sing for joy. Over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west. |
| 15 | Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. | Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 16 | From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. | From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise — "Glory to the Righteous One!" But I say, "I am wasting away; I am wasting away! Woe to me! The treacherous deal treacherously; the treacherous deal very treacherously." |
| 17 | Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. | Terror, pit, and snare are upon You, O inhabitant of the earth! |
| 18 | And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. | Whoever flees at the sound of terror shall fall into the pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. |
| 19 | The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. | The earth is violently broken; the earth is split apart; the earth is shaken violently. |
| 20 | The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. | The earth staggers like a drunkard; it sways like a hut. Its transgression lies heavy upon it; it falls and will not rise again. |
| 21 | And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. | In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven in heaven, and the kings of the earth on the earth. |
| 22 | And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. | They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in a pit. They shall be shut up in a prison, and after many days they shall be punished. |
| 23 | Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. | The moon shall be put to shame and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory is before His elders. |