Isaiah 13
1 A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
The word of the Lord about Babylon which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 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.
Put up a flag on a clear mountain-top, make a loud outcry to them, give directions with the hand, so that they may go into the doors of the great ones.
3 I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
I have given orders to my holy ones, I have sent out my men of war, those of mine who take pride in their power, to give effect to my wrath.
4 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.
The noise of great numbers in the mountains, like the noise of a strong people! The noise of the kingdoms of the nations meeting together! The Lord of armies is numbering his forces for war.
5 They come from a far country, from way over the horizon. It is Yahweh with his instruments of judgment, to destroy the whole land.
They come from a far country, from the farthest part of heaven, even the Lord and the instruments of his wrath, with destruction for all the land.
6 Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
Send out a cry of grief; for the day of the Lord is near; it comes as destruction from the Most High.
7 Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
For this cause all hands will be feeble, and every heart of man be turned to water;
8 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.
Their hearts will be full of fear; pains and sorrows will overcome them; they will be in pain like a woman in childbirth; they will be shocked at one another; their faces will be like flames.
9 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.
See, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with wrath and burning passion: to make the land a waste, driving the sinners in it to destruction.
10 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.
For the stars of heaven and its bright armies will not give their light: the sun will be made dark in his journey through the heaven, and the moon will keep back her light.
11 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.
And I will send punishment on the world for its evil, and on the sinners for their wrongdoing; and I will put an end to all pride, and will make low the power of the cruel.
12 I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
I will make men so small in number, that a man will be harder to get than gold, even the best gold of Ophir.
13 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.
For this cause the heavens will be shaking, and the earth will be moved out of its place, in the wrath of the Lord of armies, and in the day of his burning passion.
14 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.
And it will be that, like a roe in flight, and like wandering sheep, they will go every man to his people and to his land.
15 Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
Everyone who is overtaken will have a spear put through him, and everyone who goes in flight will be put to the sword.
16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
Their young children will be broken up before their eyes; their goods will be taken away, and their wives made the property of others.
17 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.
See, I am driving the Medes against them, who put no value on silver and have no pleasure in gold.
18 Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants and they will not look with pity on children.
In their hands are bows and spears; they are cruel, violently putting the young men to death, and crushing the young women; they have no pity for children, and no mercy for the fruit of the body.
19 Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beautiful town which is the pride of the Chaldaeans, will be like God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 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.
People will never be living in it again, and it will have no more men from generation to generation: the Arab will not put up his tent there; and those who keep sheep will not make it a resting-place for their flocks.
21 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.
But the beasts of the waste land will have their holes there; and the houses will be full of crying jackals, and ostriches will have their place there, and evil spirits will be dancing there.
22 Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
And wolves will be answering one another in their towers, and jackals in their houses of pleasure: her time is near, and her days of power will quickly be ended.
