Isaiah 24

1 Behold [see, watch, take notice], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] lays waste [completely destroys, empties] the earth [land, ground, creation] and leaves it in ruins [desolate, unpeopled, waste]. He will twist [turn upside down, overturn] its surface [face, presence] and scatter [disperse, shatter] its inhabitants [those who dwell, residents]— word study 2 people [nations, a group of individuals] and priest [spiritual leader, one who serves God] alike, servant [slave, one who serves a master] and master [lord, one who has authority], maid [female servant, one who serves a household] and mistress [lady, woman of high social status], buyer [one who acquires, purchases] and seller [one who offers goods for sale], lender [one who gives with expectation of return] and borrower [one who receives with obligation to repay], creditor [one who is owed, has a right to receive] and debtor [one who owes, is under obligation to pay]. word study 3 The earth [land, ground] will be utterly [completely, totally] laid waste [emptied, spoiled] and thoroughly [completely, utterly] plundered [looted, seized]. For [because, since] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] has spoken [declared, uttered] this word [message, declaration]. word study 4 The earth [land, territory] mourns [laments, is sorrowing] and withers [fades away, becomes weak]; the world [inhabited earth, global community] languishes [is feeble, weakened] and fades [dries up, shrivels up]; the exalted [lofty, high and mighty] of the earth [land, territory] waste away [come to nothing, are weakened]. word study 5 The earth [land, territory, or region] is defiled [polluted, corrupted] by its people; they have transgressed [broken, disobeyed] the laws [instructions, commandments]; they have overstepped [passed beyond, violated] the decrees [statutes, ordinances] and broken [fractured, violated] the everlasting [eternal, forever] covenant [agreement, promise]. word study 6 Therefore a curse [devouring, consuming] has consumed the earth [land, territory], and its inhabitants [those dwelling, living] must bear the guilt [be found guilty, deserving punishment]; the earth’s dwellers [inhabitants, residents] have been burned [scorched, destroyed by fire], and only a few [a small number, a remnant] survive [are left, remain]. word study 7 The new wine [freshly squeezed from grapes, unfermented] dries up [mourns, languishes], the vine [a grapevine] withers [weakens, becomes feeble]. All [everything, every person] the merrymakers [glad-hearted, joyful ones] now [in this time, presently] groan [sigh, mourn in pain or grief]. word study 8 The joyful [mirthful, happy] tambourines [tabrets, musical instruments] have ceased [stopped, come to an end]; the noise [roar, uproar] of revelers [those who rejoice, jubilant ones] has stopped [ended, come to a halt]; the joyful [delightful, happy] harp [lyre] is silent [still, quiet]. word study 9 They no longer [will not, do not] sing [with a song, in musical expression] and drink [consume, feast on] wine [fermented wine, intoxicating beverage]; strong drink [intoxicating liquor] is bitter [provoke, intensely unpleasant] to those who [that, the ones] consume [drink, feast on] it. word study 10 The city [of vanity, waste, or confusion] of chaos [emptiness, formlessness] is shattered [broken down, burst]; every house [dwelling place, family home] is closed [shut up, barred] to entry [from coming in, that no man may enter]. word study 11 In the streets [outside, in the public squares] they cry out [with a loud outcry, a shout of anguish] for wine [intoxicating beverage, fermented drink]. All [every, the entirety of] joy [happiness, gladness] turns to gloom [darkness, shadows, to grow dark]; rejoicing [great joy, delight, mirth] is exiled [removed, gone away] from the land [the earth, the territory, the region]. word study 12 The city [in a state of desolation, left to waste] is left in ruins [a state of horror]; its gate [the entrance to the city, a place of gathering] is reduced [smitten, crushed] to rubble [a state of destruction, broken into pieces]. word study 13 So will it be [thus, in this manner] on the earth [land, ground] and among the nations [peoples, countries], like a harvested [shaken, threshed] olive tree [olive berry], like a gleaning [picking leftover grapes, gathering remnants] after a grape harvest [vintage, time of gathering]. word study 14 They [the survivors, those who are left] raise their voices [lift up their sound], they shout [sing, cry out] for joy [with triumphant praise]; from the west [the sea, the Mediterranean] they proclaim [declare, cry aloud] the majesty [excellence, glory] of the LORD [Yehovah, the divine King]. word study 15 Therefore glorify [honor, extol] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in the east [the region of light, where the sun rises]. Extol the name [identity, character] of the LORD, the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] in the islands [coastlands, habitable spots] of the sea [the Mediterranean, a large body of water]. word study 16 From the ends [uttermost part, farthest edges] of the earth [land, territory] we hear [perceive, listen to] singing [songs, melodies, psalms]: “Glory [praise, honor] to the Righteous One [just, upright, having God’s nature].” But I said, “I am wasting away [pining away, becoming weak and thin]! I am wasting away [pining away, becoming weak and thin]! Woe [sorrow, grief, lamentation] is me [to me, upon me].” The treacherous [deceitful, unfaithful, acting with treachery] betray [deal treacherously, act faithlessly]; the treacherous [deceitful, unfaithful] deal in treachery [faithlessness, disloyalty, deceit]. word study 17 Terror [fear, dread] and pit [a hole or trap] and snare [a thin, flat piece of metal or a net] await you, O dweller [inhabitant, one who sits or remains] of the earth [land, soil, or ground]. word study 18 Whoever flees [runs away in terror] the sound [voice, noise] of panic [fear, dread] will fall [be defeated, come to ruin] into the pit [trap, snare], and whoever climbs [ascends, rises] from the pit [deep hole, abyss] will be caught [seized, captured] in the snare [thin, flat piece of metal, net]. For the windows [lattice, openings] of heaven [the sky, elevated place] are open [engraved, carved], and the foundations [base, starting point] of the earth [land, ground] are shaken [quaking, trembling]. word study 19 The earth [land, territory, or region] is utterly broken apart [shattered, completely broken up], the earth [the soil or ground] is split open [rent asunder, torn apart], the earth [the land or country] is shaken violently [exceedingly moved, to shake or waver]. word study 20 The earth [land, territory] staggers [reels to and fro] like a drunkard [intoxicated, under the influence] and sways [moves back and forth] like a shack [lodge, small hut]. Earth’s rebellion [transgression, disobedience] weighs [is heavy] it down, and it falls [collapses, is defeated], never [not at all] to rise [stand up, be established] again. word study 21 In that day [when God’s judgment arrives] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will punish [visit, oversee, or reckon with] the host [army, large group] of heaven [the high ones, celestial beings] above and the kings [rulers, monarchs] of the earth [land, ground] below [on the earth, in the physical world]. word study 22 They will be gathered [as prisoners are gathered, collected] together like [captive] prisoners [bound ones] in a pit [cistern, dungeon]. They will be confined [shut up, locked] to a dungeon [prison, stronghold] and punished [visited, reckoned with] after many [an abundance of, numerous] days [periods of time, seasons]. word study 23 The moon [will be veiled, abashed] will be confounded and the sun [will be put to shame, embarrassed] will be ashamed; for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [a large group of people or things, an army] will reign [as king, with great authority] on Mount [a mountain or hill] Zion [a mountain in Jerusalem, the city of God] and in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine], and before [in the presence of, facing] His elders [old, elderly, respected leaders] with great glory [honor, splendor, majesty]. word study