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Isaiah 24
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 24
Contemporary English Version
The Earth Will Be Punished
24 The Lord is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, 2 including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor. 3 The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the Lord has promised.
4 The earth wilts away;
its mighty leaders melt
to nothing.[a]
5 The earth is polluted
because its people
disobeyed the laws of God,
breaking their agreement
that was to last forever.
6 The earth is under a curse;
its people are dying out
because of their sins.
7 Grapevines have dried up:
wine is almost gone—
mournful sounds are heard
instead of joyful shouts.
8 No one plays tambourines
or stringed instruments;
all noisy celebrating
has come to an end.
9 They no longer sing
as they drink their wine,
and it tastes sour.
10 Towns are crushed and in chaos;
houses are locked tight.
11 Happy times have disappeared
from the earth,
and people shout in the streets,
“We're out of wine!”
12 Cities are destroyed;
their gates are torn down.
13 Nations will be stripped bare,
like olive trees or vineyards
after the harvest season.
Praise the God of Justice
14 People in the west shout;
they joyfully praise
the majesty of the Lord.
15 And so, everyone in the east
and those on the islands
should praise the Lord,
the God of Israel.
16 From all over the world
songs of praise are heard
for the God of justice.[b]
But I feel awful,
terribly miserable.
Can anyone be trusted?
So many are treacherous!
There's No Escape
17 Terror, traps, and pits
are waiting for everyone.
18 If you are terrified and run,
you will fall into a pit;
if you crawl out of the pit,
you will get caught in a trap.
The sky has split apart
like a window thrown open.
The foundations of the earth
have been shaken;
19 the earth is shattered,
ripped to pieces.
20 It staggers and shakes
like a drunkard
or a hut in a windstorm.
It is burdened down with sin;
the earth will fall,
never again to get up.
21 On that day the Lord
will punish the powers
in the heavens[c]
and the kings of the earth.
22 He will put them in a pit
and keep them prisoner.
Then later on,
he will punish them.
23 Both the moon and sun will
be embarrassed and ashamed.
The Lord All-Powerful will rule
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem,
where he will show its rulers
his wonderful glory.
Isaiah 24
New International Version
Isaiah 24
New International Version
The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth
24 See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth(A)
and devastate(B) it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter(C) its inhabitants—
2 it will be the same
for priest as for people,(D)
for the master as for his servant,
for the mistress as for her servant,
for seller as for buyer,(E)
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor.(F)
3 The earth will be completely laid waste(G)
and totally plundered.(H)
The Lord has spoken(I) this word.
4 The earth dries up(J) and withers,(K)
the world languishes and withers,
the heavens(L) languish with the earth.(M)
5 The earth is defiled(N) by its people;
they have disobeyed(O) the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.(P)
6 Therefore a curse(Q) consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,(R)
and very few are left.
7 The new wine dries up(S) and the vine withers;(T)
all the merrymakers groan.(U)
8 The joyful timbrels(V) are stilled,
the noise(W) of the revelers(X) has stopped,
the joyful harp(Y) is silent.(Z)
9 No longer do they drink wine(AA) with a song;
the beer is bitter(AB) to its drinkers.
10 The ruined city(AC) lies desolate;(AD)
the entrance to every house is barred.
11 In the streets they cry out(AE) for wine;(AF)
all joy turns to gloom,(AG)
all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
12 The city is left in ruins,(AH)
its gate(AI) is battered to pieces.
13 So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,(AJ)
or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.(AK)
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy;(AL)
from the west(AM) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east(AN) give glory(AO) to the Lord;
exalt(AP) the name(AQ) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
in the islands(AR) of the sea.
16 From the ends of the earth(AS) we hear singing:(AT)
“Glory(AU) to the Righteous One.”(AV)
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!(AW)
Woe(AX) to me!
The treacherous(AY) betray!
With treachery the treacherous betray!(AZ)”
17 Terror(BA) and pit and snare(BB) await you,
people of the earth.(BC)
18 Whoever flees(BD) at the sound of terror
will fall into a pit;(BE)
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare.(BF)
The floodgates of the heavens(BG) are opened,
the foundations of the earth shake.(BH)
19 The earth is broken up,(BI)
the earth is split asunder,(BJ)
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth reels like a drunkard,(BK)
it sways like a hut(BL) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion(BM)
that it falls(BN)—never to rise again.(BO)
21 In that day(BP) the Lord will punish(BQ)
the powers(BR) in the heavens above
and the kings(BS) on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together
like prisoners(BT) bound in a dungeon;(BU)
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished[a] after many days.(BV)
23 The moon will be dismayed,
the sun(BW) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign(BX)
on Mount Zion(BY) and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders—with great glory.(BZ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 24:22 Or released
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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