Isaiah 24

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 24

1¶ Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

2And 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.

3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.

4The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

6Therefore 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.

7The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10The 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.

12In 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.

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

15Wherefore 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.

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

18And 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.

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

20The 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.

21And 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.

22And 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.

23Then 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 24 describes a sweeping, universal judgment initiated by the Lord, which will render the earth empty and waste due to the inhabitants' transgressions. This desolation will affect all social classes equally, bringing an end to all joy and mirth, and leaving cities broken. Amidst this destruction, a small remnant will glorify the Lord, whose ultimate and glorious reign will be established over all creation.

Medium Summary

The chapter foretells a profound and universal judgment from the Lord, which will make the earth utterly empty and waste, scattering its inhabitants. This devastation will spare no one, affecting all social strata from priest to people, and master to servant, due to their transgressions of divine laws and breaking of the everlasting covenant. Consequently, a curse will devour the earth, leaving few survivors and causing all mirth, music, and joy to cease. Cities will be broken down, becoming places of confusion and desolation. Despite this widespread destruction, a small remnant will lift their voices in praise to the Lord from the ends of the earth. The prophet laments the pervasive treachery and the inescapable fear, pit, and snare that await the earth's inhabitants. The chapter culminates with a vision of the Lord's glorious reign in Mount Zion, where even the sun and moon will be confounded by His splendor.

Long Summary

Isaiah 24 vividly portrays a future time when the Lord will bring a devastating judgment upon the earth, making it utterly empty and waste, and scattering its inhabitants. This judgment is presented as universal, affecting all social classes without distinction, from the priest to the common person, and from the master to the servant. The primary reason for this widespread desolation is the earth's defilement by its inhabitants, who have transgressed divine laws, changed ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant. Consequently, a curse devours the earth, leaving its inhabitants desolate and few in number, as if burned. The chapter describes a complete cessation of all joy and mirth; new wine mourns, vines languish, and the sounds of tabrets and harps cease. Cities are broken down, becoming places of confusion and desolation, with houses shut up and a pervasive crying for wine in the streets. However, amidst this profound destruction, a remnant will remain, likened to the gleaning of olives or grapes, who will lift their voices to sing for the majesty of the Lord from the uttermost parts of the earth. The prophet laments the treachery of dealers, recognizing the inescapable nature of fear, the pit, and the snare that await the earth's inhabitants. The earth itself will be utterly broken, dissolved, and moved exceedingly, reeling like a drunkard and falling never to rise again due to the heavy burden of its transgression. The chapter culminates in a vision of the Lord punishing both the host of high ones in the heavens and the kings of the earth. They will be gathered as prisoners and visited after many days, leading to a glorious display of the Lord of hosts reigning in Mount Zion and Jerusalem, before His ancients, with such splendor that the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed.

Core Concepts

  • Universal JudgmentThe Lord's judgment is depicted as comprehensive, affecting all people and all social strata equally, leading to the emptying and wasting of the entire earth.
  • Earth's Defilement and TransgressionThe earth is defiled by its inhabitants who have transgressed divine laws, changed ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant, thereby incurring a curse.
  • Cessation of Joy and MirthA key consequence of the judgment is the complete end of all celebration, music, and joy, replaced by widespread sorrow, lamentation, and desolation throughout the land.
  • The RemnantDespite the extensive destruction, a small group of survivors, likened to gleanings, will remain and will glorify the Lord, singing praises to His majesty from distant lands.
  • Cosmic and Earthly UpheavalThe judgment involves not only human suffering but also a profound physical shaking and breaking of the earth itself, which reels like a drunkard and falls, never to rise again.
  • Divine Reign and GloryThe chapter concludes with the ultimate establishment of the Lord of hosts' glorious reign in Mount Zion and Jerusalem, where His splendor will be so great that the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed.