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End of Babylon and the World

13 The burden[a] of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

Lift up a banner on a bare mountain,
raise a voice to them, wave a hand,
so that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
I have commanded My consecrated ones,
yes, I have called My mighty ones,
    My proud exulting ones, for My fury.
A sound of tumult in the mountains
    like that of many people!
A sound of uproar of kingdoms,
    of nations gathered!
Adonai-Tzva’ot is mustering
    the army for battle.
They are coming from a far country—
from the end of the heavens—
Adonai and the weapons of His wrath,
to destroy the whole land.

Wail, for the day of Adonai is near!
it will come as destruction from Shaddai.
Therefore all hands will fall limp,
and every man’s heart will melt.
They will be terrified;
pain and anguish will take hold of them;
they will writhe as a woman in labor;
they will look aghast at one another—
their faces aflame!
Behold, the day of Adonai comes,
cruel, full of wrath and fierce fury,
to make the earth a desolation,
and destroy its sinners from it.
10 For 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.[b]
11 I will punish the world for evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud,
and abase the insolence of tyrants.

12 I will make people scarcer than gold,
even than the pure gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make heaven tremble,
and the earth will shake from its place
at the wrath of Adonai-Tzva’ot,
in the day of His fierce fury.

14 It will be like a hunted gazelle,
or like sheep with no one gathering.
Each will return to his own people,
each will flee to his own country.

15 Everyone found will be thrust through.
Everyone caught will fall by the sword.
16 Their babes will be dashed in pieces before their eyes.
Their houses will be plundered,
    and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes,
who will not value silver
and will take no delight in gold.
18 Their bows will cut down the young men,
with no pity on the fruit of the womb,
nor will their eye spare children.
19 So Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
the beauty of Chaldean pride,
will be just as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It will never be inhabited,
nor will it be dwelt in
from generation to generation,
nor will an Arab pitch a tent there,
nor will shepherds let flocks lie there.
21 But desert creatures will lie there.
Their houses will be full of owls.
Ostriches will dwell there,
and goat-demons will dance[c] there.
22 Hyenas will howl in their citadels
and jackals in their pleasant palaces.
Her time is near to come—
her days will not drag on long.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 13:1 Or weighty oracle.
  2. Isaiah 13:10 cf. Matt. 24:29; Rev. 8:12.
  3. Isaiah 13:21 Or wild goats will leap about.

A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecy(A) against Babylon(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz(C) saw:(D)

Raise a banner(E) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates(F) of the nobles.
I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors(G) to carry out my wrath(H)
    those who rejoice(I) in my triumph.

Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!(J)
Listen, an uproar(K) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty(L) is mustering(M)
    an army for war.
They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens(N)
the Lord and the weapons(O) of his wrath(P)
    to destroy(Q) the whole country.

Wail,(R) for the day(S) of the Lord is near;
    it will come like destruction(T) from the Almighty.[a](U)
Because of this, all hands will go limp,(V)
    every heart will melt with fear.(W)
Terror(X) will seize them,
    pain and anguish will grip(Y) them;
    they will writhe like a woman in labor.(Z)
They will look aghast at each other,
    their faces aflame.(AA)

See, the day(AB) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel(AC) day, with wrath(AD) and fierce anger(AE)
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.(AF)
The rising sun(AG) will be darkened(AH)
    and the moon will not give its light.(AI)
11 I will punish(AJ) the world for its evil,
    the wicked(AK) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty(AL)
    and will humble(AM) the pride of the ruthless.(AN)
12 I will make people(AO) scarcer than pure gold,
    more rare than the gold of Ophir.(AP)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;(AQ)
    and the earth will shake(AR) from its place
at the wrath(AS) of the Lord Almighty,
    in the day of his burning anger.(AT)

14 Like a hunted(AU) gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd,(AV)
they will all return to their own people,
    they will flee(AW) to their native land.(AX)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall(AY) by the sword.(AZ)
16 Their infants(BA) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.(BB)

17 See, I will stir up(BC) against them the Medes,(BD)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.(BE)
18 Their bows(BF) will strike down the young men;(BG)
    they will have no mercy(BH) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.(BI)
19 Babylon,(BJ) the jewel of kingdoms,(BK)
    the pride and glory(BL) of the Babylonians,[b]
will be overthrown(BM) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.(BN)
20 She will never be inhabited(BO)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads(BP) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
21 But desert creatures(BQ) will lie there,
    jackals(BR) will fill her houses;
there the owls(BS) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats(BT) will leap about.
22 Hyenas(BU) will inhabit her strongholds,(BV)
    jackals(BW) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,(BX)
    and her days will not be prolonged.(BY)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 13:6 Hebrew Shaddai
  2. Isaiah 13:19 Or Chaldeans