24 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

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 land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

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.

The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10 The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11 There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

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.

14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15 Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

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.

17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, 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.

19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

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.

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.

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.

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.

25 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

24 1 A prophecy of the curse of God for the sins of the people. 13 A remnant reserved shall praise the Lord.

Behold, the Lord maketh the [a]earth empty, and he maketh it waste: he turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

And there shall be like people, like [b]Priest, and like servant, like master, like maid, like mistress, like buyer, like seller, like lender, like borrower, like giver, like taker to usury.

The earth shall be clean emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.

The earth lamenteth and fadeth away, the world is feebled and decayed: the proud people of the earth are weakened.

The earth [c]also deceiveth, because of the inhabitants thereof: for they transgressed the laws: they changed the ordinances, and brake the everlasting Covenant.

Therefore hath the [d]curse devoured the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are desolate. Wherefore the inhabitants of the land are [e]burned up, and few men are left.

The wine faileth, the vine hath no might: all that were of merry heart, do mourn.

The mirth of tabrets ceaseth: the noise of them that rejoice, endeth: the joy of the harp ceaseth.

They shall not drink wine with mirth: strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10 The city of [f]vanity is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

11 There is a crying for wine in the streets: all joy is darkened: the [g]mirth of the world is gone away.

12 In the cities is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

13 ¶ Surely thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the people, [h]as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the grapes when the vintage is ended.

14 They shall lift up their voice: they shall shout for the magnificence of the Lord: they shall rejoice from [i]the sea.

15 Wherefore praise ye the Lord in the valleys, even the Name of the Lord God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.

16 From the uttermost part of the earth we have heard praises, even glory to the [j]just, and I said, [k]My leanness, my leanness, woe is me: the transgressors have offended: yea, the transgressors have grievously offended.

17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

18 And he that fleeth from the noise of the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that cometh up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for the [l]windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

19 The earth is utterly broken down: the earth is clean dissolved: the earth is moved exceedingly.

20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man, and shall be removed like a tent, and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it: so that it shall fall, and rise no more.

21 ¶ And in that day shall the Lord [m]visit the host above that is on high, even the kings of the world that are upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together as the prisoners in the pit: and they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be [n]visited.

23 [o]Then the moon shall be abashed, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem: and glory shall be before his ancient men.

25 A thanksgiving to God in that that he showeth himself judge of the world, by punishing the wicked, and maintaining the godly.

O Lord, thou [p]art my God: I will exalt thee, I will praise thy Name: for thou hast done wonderful things, according to the counsels of old, with a stable truth.

For thou hast made of a [q]city an heap, of a strong city, a ruin: even the place [r]of strangers of a city, it shall never be built.

Therefore shall the [s]mighty people give glory unto thee: the city of the strong nations shall fear thee.

For thou hast been a strength unto the poor, even a strength to the needy in his trouble, a refuge against the tempest, a shadow against the heat: for the blast [t]of the mighty is like a storm against the wall.

Thou shalt bring down the noise of the strangers, [u]as the heat in a dry place; he will bring down the song of the mighty, as [v]the heat in the shadow of a cloud.

And in this [w]mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, even a feast of fined wines, and of fat things full of marrow, of wines fined and purified.

And he will destroy in this mountain [x]the covering that covereth all people, and the veil that is spread upon all nations.

He will destroy death forever: and the Lord God will [y]wipe away the tears from all faces, and the rebuke of his people will he take away out of all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And in that day shall men say, Lo, this is our God: we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be joyful in salvation.

10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and [z]Moab shall be threshed under him even as straw is threshed in [aa]Madmenah.

11 And he shall stretch out his hand in the midst of them (as he that swimmeth stretcheth them out to swim) and with the strength of his hands shall he bring down their pride.

12 The defense also of the height of thy walls shall he bring down and lay low, and cast them to the ground, even unto the dust.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 24:1 This prophecy is as a conclusion of that which hath been threatened to the Jews, and other nations from chap. 13, and therefore by the earth he meaneth those lands which were before named.
  2. Isaiah 24:2 Because this was a name of dignity, it was also applied to them, which were not of Aaron’s family, and so signifieth also a man of dignity, as 2 Sam. 8:18 and 20:25; 1 Chron. 18:17, and by these words the Prophet signifieth an horrible confusion, where there shall be neither religion, order, nor policy, Hos. 4:9.
  3. Isaiah 24:5 That is, rendereth not her fruit for the sin of the people, whom the earth deceived of their nourishment, because they deceived God of his honor.
  4. Isaiah 24:6 Written in the Law, as Lev. 26:14; Deut. 28:16, thus the Prophets used to apply particularly the menaces and promises, which are general in the Law.
  5. Isaiah 24:6 With heat and drought, or else that they were consumed with the fire of God’s wrath.
  6. Isaiah 24:10 Which as it was without order, so now should it be brought to desolation and confusion: and this was not only meant of Jerusalem, but of all the other wicked cities.
  7. Isaiah 24:11 Because they did not use God’s benefits aright, their pleasures should fail, and they fall to mourning.
  8. Isaiah 24:13 He comforteth the faithful, declaring that in this great desolation the Lord will assemble his Church which shall praise his Name, as Isa. 10:22.
  9. Isaiah 24:14 From the utmost coasts of the world, where the Gospel shall be preached, as verse 16.
  10. Isaiah 24:16 Meaning, to God, who will publish his Gospel through all the world.
  11. Isaiah 24:16 I am consumed with care, considering the affliction of the Church, both by foreign enemies and domestic. Some read, my secret, my secret: that is, it was revealed to the Prophet, that the good should be preserved, and the wicked destroyed.
  12. Isaiah 24:18 Meaning, that God’s wrath and vengeance should be over and under them: so that they should not escape no more than they did at Noah’s flood.
  13. Isaiah 24:21 There is no power so high or mighty, but God will visit him with his rods.
  14. Isaiah 24:22 Not with his rods, as verse 21, but shall be comforted.
  15. Isaiah 24:23 When God shall restore his Church, the glory thereof shall so shine, and his ministers (which are called his ancient men) that the sun and the moon shall be dark in comparison thereof.
  16. Isaiah 25:1 Thus the Prophet giveth thanks to God because he will bring under subjection these nations by his corrections, and make them of his Church, which before were his enemies.
  17. Isaiah 25:2 Not only of Jerusalem, but also of these other cities which have been thine enemies.
  18. Isaiah 25:2 That is, a place whereas all vagabonds may live without danger, and as it were at ease, as in a palace.
  19. Isaiah 25:3 The arrogant and proud, which before would not know thee, shall by thy corrections fear and glorify thee.
  20. Isaiah 25:4 The rage of the wicked is furious, till God break the force thereof.
  21. Isaiah 25:5 Meaning, that as the heat is abated by the rain, so shall God bring down the rage of the wicked.
  22. Isaiah 25:5 As a cloud shadoweth from the heat of the sun, so shall God assuage the rejoicing of the wicked against the godly.
  23. Isaiah 25:6 To wit, in Zion, whereby he meaneth his Church, which should under Christ be assembled of the Jews and the Gentiles, and is here described under the figure of a costly banquet, as Matt. 22:2.
  24. Isaiah 25:7 Meaning, that ignorance and blindness, whereby we are kept back from Christ.
  25. Isaiah 25:8 He will take away all occasions of sorrow and fill his with perfect joy, Rev. 7:17 and 21:4.
  26. Isaiah 25:10 By Moab are meant all the enemies of his Church.
  27. Isaiah 25:10 There were two cities of this name: one in Judah, 1 Chron. 2:49, and another in the land of Moab, Jer. 48:2, which seemeth to have been a plentiful place of corn, Isa. 10:31.