Isaiah Chapter 24
Devastation of the Earth
1 Yahveh is laying the earth waste, defacing its surface, scattering its residents. 2 People and priests, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, creditors and debtors—everyone will be affected. 3 The earth will be completely despoiled because Yahveh said so. 4 The earth withers, and its people waste away, even its high-ranking ones, 5 because they’ve polluted it by sinning against God’s laws, statutes, and everlasting covenant. 6 So a curse devastates the earth, and its people have to pay for their guilt. They’re burned; there aren’t many left.
Is 24:1-6
7 There’s no new wine to drink;
the grapevines have dried up;
the light-hearted sigh.
8 Celebrating with tambourines has stopped;
the noise from revelers has ceased;
happiness with harps has disappeared.
9 They don’t drink wine and sing;
alcohol tastes bitter.
10 The city in chaos has broken-down walls;
its houses are boarded up to keep intruders out.
Is 24:7-10
11 Stragglers in the streets holler for wine;
joy has turned to gloom;
happiness has vanished.
12 The city’s in ruins;
its gates are battered down.
13 That’s the way it is in the rural areas too—
as when they shake the olive tree
or glean for grapes.
Is 24:11-13
14 But a few raise their voices and shout for joy;
they shout from the west about the majesty of Yahveh.
15 So honor him in the east,
the God of Israel in lands beyond the sea.
16 In the distance we hear singing,
“Honor to the Righteous One.”
Is 24:14-16
But I say, “Misfortune awaits me! Misfortune awaits me!
The devious deal deviously, so deviously!”
17 Terror, pit, and snare threaten you,
people of the earth;
18 the one that runs from terror
falls into a pit;
the one that climbs out of the pit
gets caught in a snare.
Is 24:17-18a
The windows in the sky rain down destruction;
the foundations of the earth quake.
19 The earth breaks into pieces;
earthquakes split it apart
and shake it violently.
20 It staggers like a drunk;
it leans like a shack
because its sins press heavily against it;
it will fall over permanently.
21 At that time, Yahveh will punish the gods in the sky above
and the kings on the earth below.
22 They’ll be rounded up together
like prisoners in a dungeon
and finally be punished,
23 The moon will fade,
and the sun will lose its brightness,
compared to Yahveh of hosts,
who will reign on Zion
and display his glory to his people’s leaders.
Is 24:18b-23