Isaiah / The Lord's Universal Judgment and Final Reign

The Lord's Universal Judgment and Final Reign

Isaiah 24:1-23

Chapter 24

¹ Behold, the LORD empties the land and lays it waste, and he twists its surface and scatters its inhabitants. ² And it will be like the people with the priest, like the servant with his master, like the maidservant with her mistress, like the buyer with the seller, like the lender with the borrower, like the creditor with the debtor—just as with the one who bears interest in it. ³ The emptying will be emptied, the land and the despoiling will be despoiled, because the LORD has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth has mourned, it has withered; it has languished, Tubal has withered; they have caused the high ones of the earth to languish. ⁵ The earth is profaned by its inhabitants, for they have transgressed the Torah, changed the statute, and broken the eternal covenant. ⁶ Therefore an oath consumed the land, and its inhabitants were guilty; therefore the land's inhabitants were desolated, and few people were left. ⁷ But new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all the joyful-hearted groan. ⁸ The joy of tambourines has ceased. The tumult of the jubilant has stopped. The joy of the lyre has ceased. ⁹ They will not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to its drinkers. ¹⁰ The city of tohu is broken; every house is shut up from entrance. ¹¹ There is a crying out over the wine in the streets; desolation has revealed all joy. Gladness of the earth. ¹² A remnant remains there in the city, and its height—its gate is struck down. ¹³ For thus it will be in the midst of the land among the peoples, like the beating of an olive, like the gleaning when the vintage is finished. ¹⁴ They lift their voice, they shout for joy in the majesty of the LORD; shout for joy, seas. ¹⁵ Therefore in the lights glorify the LORD, in the islands of the sea. There the LORD God of Israel. ¹⁶ From the wing of the land we have heard songs of praise, glory to the Righteous One. But he said, "My mysteries, my mysteries! Woe to me! Traitors have betrayed; yes, with betrayal they have betrayed." ¹⁷ Terror and pit and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the land. ¹⁸ And it will be: the one fleeing from the sound of the terror will fall into the pit, and the one ascending from the midst of the pit will be caught in the snare; for the windows from on high have been opened, and the foundations of the earth quake. ¹⁹ It was shattered; the land was violently shattered. It was split open; the land was torn apart. It tottered; the land staggered. ²⁰ The land sways like a drunkard, and it totters like a lodge, and heavy upon it is her transgression, and she fell and will not rise again. ²¹ And it will be on that day that the LORD will visit upon the host of the height on high, and upon the kings of the land on the land. ²² And they will be gathered; I will gather them into the pit, and they will be shut up in the prison, and after a multitude of days they will be mustered. ²³ And the moon will be ashamed, and the sun will be put to shame, for the LORD of hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and in front of his elders—glory.