Isaiah 13
1 A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
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.
Set ye up an ensign upon the high mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
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 commanded My consecrated ones, yea, I have called My mighty ones for mine anger, even My proudly exulting ones.
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.
Hark, a tumult in the mountains, like as of a great people! Hark, the uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
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 end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole earth.
6 Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
7 Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
Therefore shall all hands be slack, and every heart of man shall melt.
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.
And they shall be affrighted; pangs and throes shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail; they shall look aghast one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.
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.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel, and full of wrath and fierce anger; to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it,
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 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.
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 visit upon the world their evil, and upon the wicked their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants.
12 I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
I will make man more rare than fine gold, even man than the pure 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.
Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place, for the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and for the day of His fierce anger.
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 shall come to pass, that as the chased gazelle, 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.
15 Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is caught shall fall by the sword.
16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
Their babes also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
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.
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
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.
And 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.
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 beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, shall be as when God overthrew 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.
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.
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 wild-cats shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of ferrets; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance 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 jackals shall howl in their castles, and wild-dogs in the pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
