Isaiah — Chapter 13

1This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

2Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.

4Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.

5They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—to destroy the whole country.

6Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

7Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.

8Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

9Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming—cruel, with fury and burning anger—to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it.

10For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

11I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

12I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.

14Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

15Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword.

16Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

17Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.

18Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.

19And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

20She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.

21But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

22Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

2Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.

4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

5They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

6Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:

8And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

9Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

14And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

16Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

18Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

22And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

2Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.

5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

6Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

7Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt:

8and they shall be dismayed; pangs and sorrows shall take hold [of them]; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail: they shall look in amazement one at another; their faces [shall be] faces of flame.

9Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.

11And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.

13Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

14And it shall come to pass, that as the chased roe, and as sheep that no man gathereth, they shall turn every man to his own people, and shall flee every man to his own land.

15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is taken shall fall by the sword.

16Their infants also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be rifled, and their wives ravished.

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

18And [their] bows shall dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans` pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.

21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.

22And wolves shall cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

1This is an oracle about Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:

2On a bare hill raise a signal flag; shout to them, wave your hand so they might enter the gates of the princes!

3I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger— my boasting, arrogant ones.

4There is a loud noise on the mountains— it sounds like a large army! There is great commotion among the kingdoms— nations are being assembled! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is mustering forces for battle.

5They come from a distant land, from the horizon. It is the Lord with his instruments of judgment coming to destroy the whole earth.

6Wail, for the Lord’s day of judgment is near; it comes with all the destructive power of the Sovereign One.

7For this reason all hands hang limp, every human heart loses its courage.

8They panic— cramps and pain seize hold of them like those of a woman who is straining to give birth. They look at one another in astonishment; their faces are flushed red.

9Look, the Lord’s day of judgment is coming; it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, destroying the earth and annihilating its sinners.

10Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine.

11I will punish the world for its evil and wicked people for their sin. I will put an end to the pride of the insolent, I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants.

12I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold and people more scarce than gold from Ophir.

13So I will shake the heavens, and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, because of the fury of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, in the day he vents his raging anger.

14Like a frightened gazelle or a sheep with no shepherd, each will turn toward home, each will run to his homeland.

15Everyone who is caught will be stabbed; everyone who is seized will die by the sword.

16Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives raped.

17Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; they are not concerned about silver, nor are they interested in gold.

18Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; they have no compassion on a person’s offspring; they will not look with pity on children.

19Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, will be destroyed by God just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.

20No one will live there again; no one will ever reside there again. No bedouin will camp there, no shepherds will rest their flocks there.

21Wild animals will rest there, the ruined houses will be full of hyenas. Ostriches will live there, wild goats will skip among the ruins.

22Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses, jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. Her time is almost up, her days will not be prolonged.

1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

4The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.

5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

6Wail; for the day of Yahweh is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

7Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.

8They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.

9Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.

10For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible.

12I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.

13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger.

14It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.

15Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

16Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.

18Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.

19Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

21But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.

22Wolves will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.