Isaiah 24:1-12, an annotated translation
1. Here1, Yahweh2 empties3 the land and lays it waste, twisting its face, and scattering its dwellers. 2. It will be4 with the people5 as with the priest6 , with slave as with his master, with maidservant7 as with her mistress, with buyer as with seller, with lender as with borrower, with creditor as with debtor. 3. Emptied empty8 is the land, defaced, disgraced9 , for Yahweh has spoken10 this word11. 4. The land grieves and profanes12, miserable and profane13 is the world, miserable14 are the highest of the land. 5. The land is violated beneath its dwellers, for they have overstepped15 their teachings16, transgressed the law, denied the eternal17 covenant. 6. Therefore a curse devours the land, its dwellers found guilty18. Therefore the dwellers of the land are consumed19, and few20 men remain. 7. The new wine grieves, the vine is miserable, the glad of heart sigh21. 8. The joy of the tambourines pauses22, the clamor of the revelers ceases23, the joy of the harp pauses. 9. They shall not24 drink wine with song. Beer will be bitter25 to those who drink it. 10. Broken is the city of the depths26, closed are all the houses to those who arrive. 11. There is a cry in the streets over wine, night falls on all happiness, the joy of the land is banished27. 12. There will remain28 in the city devastation and a desolation29 of its demolished gate.© Simon Glass 2015