Isaías 24

¹ Behold, the LORD maketh theThis prophecy is as a conclusion of that which has been threatened to the Jews and other nations from the 13th chapter and therefore by the earth he means those lands which were named before.earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad its inhabitants.

² And it shall be, as with the people, so with theBecause this was a name of dignity it was also applied to them who were not of Aaron's family, and so signifies also a man of dignity, as in (2Sa_8:18; 2Sa_20:25; 1Ch_18:17) and by these words the prophet signifies a horrible confusion, where there will be neither religion, order nor policy, (Hos_4:9).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 interest, so with the giver of interest to him.

³ The earth shalbe cleane emptied, and vtterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this worde.

⁴ The earth lamenteth and fadeth away: the world is feeble and decaied: the proude people of the earth are weakened.

⁵ The earthThat is, does not give her fruit for the sin of the people, whom the earth deceived of their nourishment because they deceived God of his honour.also is defiled under its inhabitants; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

⁶ Therefore hath theWritten in the law, as in (Lev_26:14; Deu_28:16) thus the prophets used to apply particularly the menaces and promises which are general in the law.curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell in it are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth areWith heat and drought, or else that they were consumed with the fire of God's wrath.burned, and few men left.

⁷ The wine faileth, the vine hath no might: all that were of merie heart, doe mourne.

⁸ The mirth of tabrets ceaseth: the noyse of them that reioyce, endeth: the ioye of the harpe ceaseth.

⁹ They shall not drinke wine with mirth: strong drinke shall be bitter to them that drinke it.

¹⁰ The city ofWhich as it was without order so now should it be brought to desolation and confusion: and this was not only meant of Jerusalem, but of all the other wicked cities.confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may enter.

¹¹ [There is] a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, theBecause they did not use God's benefits correctly their pleasures would fail, and they would fall to mourning.mirth of the land is gone.

¹² In the citie 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]He comforts the faithful, declaring that in this great desolation the Lord will assemble his Church which will praise his Name, as in (Isa_10:22).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 fromFrom the utmost coasts of the world, where the gospel will be preached as in (Isa_24:16).the sea.

¹⁵ Wherefore praise yee the Lord in the valleis, euen the Name of the Lorde God of Israel, in the yles of the sea.

¹⁶ From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, [even] glory to theMeaning to God, who will publish his gospel through all the world.righteous. But I said,I am consumed with care, considering the affliction of the Church, both by foreign enemies and domestic. Some read, My secret, my secret: that is, it was revealed to the prophet, that the good would be preserved and the wicked destroyed.My leanness, my leanness, woe to me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

¹⁷ Feare, and the pitte, and the snare are vpon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

¹⁸ And 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 theMeaning that God's wrath and vengeance would be over and under them, so that they would not escape no more than they did at Noah's flood.windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

¹⁹ The earth is vtterly broken downe: the earth is cleane dissolued: the earth is mooued exceedingly.

²⁰ The earth shal reele to and fro like a drunken man, and shall be remooued like a tent, and the iniquitie thereof shall be heauie vpon it: so that it shall fall, and rise no more.

²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shallThere is no power so high or mighty, but God will visit him with his rods.punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

²² And 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 beNot with his rods as in (Isa_24:21) but will be comforted.visited.

²³ When God restores his Church, the glory of it will so shine, and his ministers (who are called his ancient men) that the sun and the moon will be dark in comparison to it.Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign on mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.