Isaiah 24 YLT
Summary: Isaiah shifts to a sweeping, apocalyptic vision often called the "Isaiah Apocalypse," describing the whole earth emptied and laid waste because its inhabitants have broken the everlasting covenant and defiled the land, so that "the earth is utterly broken down" (v. 19) and its people, of every social rank equally, are scattered. Joy and mirth cease, the city of confusion is broken, and even those who escape are caught in snares, for "the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake" (v. 18). Yet amid the desolation a remnant sings, glorifying the LORD from the ends of the earth for His righteousness. The chapter closes with the LORD punishing the "host of the high ones" in heaven and kings on earth, then reigning gloriously in Zion and Jerusalem before His elders, the moon confounded and the sun ashamed at His glory.
1Lo, Jehovah is emptying the land, And is making it waste, And hath overturned it on its face, And hath scattered its inhabitants.
2And it hath been--as a people so a priest, As the servant so his master, As the maid-servant so her mistress, As the buyer so the seller, As the lender so the borrower, As the usurer so he who is lifting it on himself.
3Utterly emptied is the land, and utterly spoiled, For Jehovah hath spoken this word:
4Mourned, faded hath the land, Languished, faded hath the world, Languished have they--the high place of the people of the land.
5And the land hath been defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed laws, They have changed a statute, They have made void a covenant age-during.
6Therefore a curse hath consumed the land, And the inhabitants in it are become desolate, Therefore consumed have been inhabitants of the land, And few men have been left.
7Mourned hath the new wine, languished the vine, Sighed have all the joyful of heart.
8Ceased hath the joy of tabrets, Ceased hath the noise of exulting ones, Ceased hath the joy of a harp.
9With a song they drink not wine, Bitter is strong drink to those drinking it.
10It was broken down--a city of emptiness, Shut hath been every house from entrance.
11A cry over the wine is in out-places, Darkened hath been all joy, Removed hath been the joy of the land.
12Left in the city is desolation, And with wasting is the gate smitten.
13When thus it is in the heart of the land, In the midst of the peoples, As the compassing of the olive, As gleanings when harvest hath been finished,
14They--they lift up their voice, They sing of the excellency of Jehovah, They have cried aloud from the sea.
15Therefore in prosperity honour ye Jehovah, In isles of the sea, the name of Jehovah, God of Israel.
16From the skirt of the earth we heard songs, The desire of the righteous. And I say, `Leanness is to me, Leanness is to me, woe is to me.' Treacherous dealers dealt treacherously, Yea, treachery, treacherous dealers dealt treacherously.
17Fear, and a snare, and a gin, Are on thee, O inhabitant of the land.
18And it hath come to pass, He who is fleeing from the noise of the fear Doth fall into the snare, And he who is coming up from the midst of the snare, Is captured by the gin, For windows on high have been opened, And shaken are foundations of the land.
19Utterly broken down hath been the land, Utterly broken hath been the land, Utterly moved hath been the land.
20Stagger greatly doth the land as a drunkard, And it hath been moved as a lodge, And heavy on it hath been its transgression, And it hath fallen, and addeth not to rise.
21And it hath come to pass, in that day, Jehovah layeth a charge on the host of the high place in the high place, And on the kings of the land on the land.
22And they have been gathered--A gathering of bound ones in a pit, And shut up they have been in a prison, And after a multitude of days are inspected.
23And confounded hath been the moon, And ashamed hath been the sun, For reigned hath Jehovah of Hosts In mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, And over-against His elders--honour!
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