Isaiah 24

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 See how Yahweh lays the earth waste, makes it a desert, buckles its surface, scatters its inhabitants,	1 Behold, the LORD will lay waste the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2 priest and people alike, master and slave, mistress and maid, seller and buyer, lender and borrower,creditor and debtor.	2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, 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 creditor, so with the debtor.
3 Ravaged, ravaged the earth wil be, despoiled, despoiled, for Yahweh has uttered this word.	3 The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled; for the LORD has spoken this word.
4 The earth is mourning, pining away, the pick of earth's people are withering away.	4 The earth mourns and withers, the world languishes and withers; the heavens languish together with the earth.
5 The earth is defiled by the feet of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed the laws, violated thedecree, broken the everlasting covenant.	5 The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 That is why the curse has consumed the earth and its inhabitants pay the penalty, that is why theinhabitants of the earth have been burnt up and few people are left.	6 Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.
7 The new wine is mourning, the vine is withering away, the once merry-hearted are sighing.	7 The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The cheerful sound of tambourines is silent, the sound of revel ing is over, the cheerful sound of theharp is silent.	8 The mirth of the timbrels is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
9 No more wil they sing over their wine, liquor wil taste bitter to the drinker.	9 No more do they drink wine with singing; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of nothingness is in ruins, every house is shut, no one can enter.	10 The city of chaos is broken down, every house is shut up so that none can enter.
11 People shout in the streets to try to get wine; al joy has vanished, happiness has been banished fromthe country.	11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has reached its eventide; the gladness of the earth is banished.
12 Nothing but rubble in the city, the gate has col apsed in ruins.	12 Desolation is left in the city, the gates are battered into ruins.
13 For at the heart of earth's life, among the peoples, it is as at the beating of the olive trees, as at thegleaning of the grapes when the grape harvest is over.	13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the vintage is done.
14 They raise their voices, shouting for joy, in Yahweh's honour they shout from the west.	14 They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
15 'Yes, in the east, give glory to Yahweh, in the islands of the sea, to the name of Yahweh, God ofIsrael!'	15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
16 We have heard psalms from the remotest parts of earth, 'Glory to the Upright One!' But I thought,'What an ordeal, what an ordeal! What misery for me!' The traitors have betrayed, the traitors have acted mosttreacherously.	16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise, of glory to the Righteous One. But I say, "I pine away, I pine away. Woe is me! For the treacherous deal treacherously, the treacherous deal very treacherously."
17 Fear, the pit and the snare for you, inhabitants of the city!	17 Terror, and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18 And whoever flees from the cry of fear wil fal into the pit, and whoever climbs out of the pit will becaught in the snare. Yes, the sluice-gates above are open, the foundations of the earth are quaking.	18 He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit; and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 A cracking, the earth cracks open, a jolting, the earth gives a jolt, a lurching, the earth lurchesbackwards and forwards.	19 The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth wil reel to and fro like a drunkard, it will be shaken like a shanty; so heavy wil be its sin onit, it wil fal , never to rise again.	20 The earth staggers like a drunken man, it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.
21 When that day comes, Yahweh wil punish the armies of the sky above and on earth the kings of theearth;	21 On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 they wil be herded together, herded together like prisoners in a dungeon and shut up in gaol, and,after long years, punished.	22 They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.
23 The moon will be confused and the sun ashamed, for Yahweh Sabaoth is king on Mount Zion and inJerusalem, and the Glory will radiate on their elders.	23 Then the moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his elders he will manifest his glory.