Isaiah 24-26 - Swallow Up Death Forever

From today's Bible reading:

Isaiah 24:

Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
for the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.

The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.

No more do they drink wine with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

The wasted city is broken down;
every house is shut up so that none can enter.

They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;
over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.

Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to the Righteous One.

But I say, I waste away,
I waste away. Woe is me!
For the traitors have betrayed,
with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.

For the windows of heaven are opened,
and the foundations of the earth tremble.
The earth is utterly broken,
the earth is split apart,
the earth is violently shaken.

On that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.

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.

Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for the LORD of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.

Isaiah 25:

O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.

He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.

It will be said on that day,
Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 26:

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.

My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

O LORD, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.

O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,
for you have indeed done for us all our works.

O LORD our God,
other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but your name alone we bring to remembrance.

They are dead, they will not live;
they are shades, they will not arise;
to that end you have visited them with destruction
and wiped out all remembrance of them.

But you have increased the nation, O LORD,
you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
you have enlarged all the borders of the land.

O LORD, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a whispered prayer
when your discipline was upon them.

Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.

For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.