Isaiah 5:24

²² Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing beer,

²³ who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

²⁵ Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people; His hand is raised against them to strike them down. The mountains quake, and the corpses lay like refuse in the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

²⁶ He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
KJV: Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
WEB: Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust, because they have rejected the law of the LORD of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
ASV: Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
DARBY: Therefore as a tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and dry grass sinketh down in the flame, their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; for they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
BLB: Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the chaff and the flame consumes the stubble, their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom will go up like dust, because they have rejected the instruction of YHWH of hosts, and the Word of the Holy One of Israel they have despised.

ÅB: Derfor, som ilden fortærer halm, og høy synker sammen i flammen, så skal deres rot råtne, og deres blomst fare opp som støv; for de har forkastet Herrens, hærskarenes Guds lov og foraktet Israels Helliges ord.
OTB: Derfor, som en ildtunge fortærer halm og tørt gress kollapser i flammene, slik skal deres røtter råtne og deres blomster blåse bort som støv; for de har forkastet Herrens Allmektiges lov og foraktet Israels Helliges ord.
B1930: Derfor, som ilden fortærer halm, og høi synker sammen i luen, så skal deres rot råtne, og deres blomst fare op som støv; for de har forkastet Herrens, hærskarenes Guds lov og foraktet Israels Helliges ord.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 30:12
Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit,
Read in context
Job 18:16
The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away.
Read in context
Joel 2:5
With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
Read in context
Luke 3:17
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Read in context
Isaiah 47:14
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.
Read in context
Isaiah 30:9
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction.
Read in context
Exodus 15:7
You overthrew Your adversaries by Your great majesty. You unleashed Your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.
Read in context
Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
Read in context