(KJV) Isaiah 24¹

⥃God’s Judgment on the Earth

[1] Behold, the Lord maketh the² earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down³, and scattereth⁴ abroad the inhabitants thereof.⁵ [2] And it shall be, as with the people⁶, so with the priest⁷; 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. [3] The land shall⁸ be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord⁹ hath spoken this word. [4] The earth mourneth¹⁰ [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people¹¹ of the earth do languish. [5] The earth also is defiled¹² under the inhabitants thereof; because¹³ they have transgressed the laws, changed¹⁴ the ordinance, broken¹⁵ the everlasting covenant. [6] Therefore hath¹⁶ the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few¹⁷ men left. [7] The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.¹⁸ [8] The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.¹⁹ [9] They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.²⁰ [10] The city²¹ of confusion²² is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. [11] [There is] a crying²³ for wine in the streets; all joy²⁴ is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. [12] In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.²⁵

[13] When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, [there²⁶ 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.²⁷ [15] Wherefore glorify²⁸ ye the Lord in the fires²⁹, [even] the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles³⁰ of the sea.

[16] From the uttermost part³¹ of the earth have we heard songs, [even] glory³² to the righteous. But³³ I said, My leanness³⁴, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous³⁵ dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. [17] Fear, and the pit³⁶, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. [18] And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth³⁷ 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 the³⁸ windows from on high are open, and the foundations³⁹ of the earth do shake. [19] The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.⁴⁰ [20] The earth shall reel⁴¹ to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed⁴² like a cottage; and the transgression⁴³ thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it⁴⁴ shall fall, and not rise again. [21] And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord⁴⁵ shall punish⁴⁶ the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. [22] And they shall⁴⁷ be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered⁴⁸ in the pit⁴⁹, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they⁵⁰ be visited⁵¹. [23] Then the moon⁵² shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when⁵³ the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount⁵⁴ Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously⁵⁵.