Isaiah 13
1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
2 Lift 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.
On the bare mountain set up a signal flag, cry aloud to them, wave your hand for them to go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness.
I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4 The 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.
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of many people! The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms like many nations gathered together! Yahweh of hosts is mustering the army for the battle.
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
They come from a far country, from way over the horizon. It is Yahweh with his instruments of judgment, to destroy the whole land.
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
8 And 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.
They will be terrified; pain and agony will seize them, like a woman in labor. They will look in astonishment at one another; their faces will be aflame.
9 Behold, 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.
See, the day of Yahweh comes with cruel wrath and overflowing anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy the sinners from it.
10 For 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.
The stars of heaven and the constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened even from dawn, and the moon will not shine.
11 And 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.
I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud and will bring down the arrogance of the ruthless.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore 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.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, by the fury of Yahweh of hosts, and on the day of his fierce anger.
14 And 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.
Like a hunted gazelle or like a sheep with no shepherd, every man will turn toward his own people and will flee to his own land.
15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword.
Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it.
Look, I am about to stir up the Medes to attack them, who will not be concerned about silver, nor do they delight in gold.
18 [Their] 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.
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants and they will not look with pity on children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It 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.
It will not be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. The Arab will not pitch his tent there, nor will shepherds have their flocks rest there.
21 But 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.
But wild animals of the desert will lie there. Their houses will be full of owls; and ostriches and wild goats will skip about there.
22 And 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.
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
