Isaiah 13
1 The burden of Babel, which Isaiah the sonne of Amoz did see.
[I], Isaiah, the son of Amoz, received [from Yahweh] this message about Babylon [city]:
2 Lift vp a standard vpon the hie mountaine: lift vp the voyce vnto them: wagge the hand, that they may goe into the gates of the nobles.
Lift up a flag on the bare [top of a] hill, to signal [that an army should come to attack Babylon]. Shout to them and wave your hand [to signal to them] that they should march through the city gates into the palaces of the proud [rulers of Babylon]!
3 I haue commanded them, that I haue sanctified: and I haue called ye mightie to my wrath, and them that reioyce in my glorie.
[Yahweh says], “I have commanded those soldiers to do that; I have summoned the warriors whom I have chosen to punish [the people of Babylon] because of my being very angry with them, and those soldiers will be very proud [when they do that].”
4 The noyse of a multitude is in the mountaines, like a great people: a tumultuous voyce of the kingdomes of the nations gathered together: the Lord of hostes nombreth the hoste of the battell.
Listen to the noise on the mountains, which is the noise of a huge army marching! It is the noise made by people of many people-groups shouting. The Commander of the armies of angels has summoned this army to gather together.
5 They come from a farre countrey, from the end of the heauen: euen the Lord with the weapons of his wrath to destroy the whole land.
They come from countries that are far away, from the most remote places [IDM] on the earth. They are [like] [SIM] weapons that Yahweh will use [to punish the people with whom] he is very angry, and to destroy the entire country [of Babylonia].
6 Howle you, for the day of the Lord is at hande: it shall come as a destroier from the Almightie.
[You people of Babylon] will scream because you will be terrified, because it will be the time that Yahweh [has determined/chosen], the time for the all-powerful [God] to destroy [your city].
7 Therefore shall all hands be weakened, and all mens hearts shall melt,
All of your people will be very afraid [DOU], with the result that they will be unable even to lift their arms.
8 And they shalbe afraid: anguish and sorowe shall take them, and they shall haue paine, as a woman that trauaileth: euery one shall be amased at his neighbour, and their faces shalbe like flames of fire.
All of you will be terrified. You will have [PRS] severe pains like [SIM] a woman has when she is giving birth to a baby. You will look at each other helplessly, and it will show on your faces that you feel horror.
9 Beholde, the day of the Lord commeth, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land wast: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it.
Listen to this: The day that Yahweh has appointed/chosen is near, the day that he will furiously and fiercely [punish you] because he is very angry [with you]. He will cause your land [of Babylonia] to be desolate/barren, and he will destroy [all] the sinners in it.
10 For the starres of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light: the sunne shalbe darkened in his going foorth, and the moone shall not cause her light to shine.
[When that happens], none of the stars will shine. When the sun rises, it will be dark, and there will be no light from the moon [at night].
11 And I will visite the wickednes vpon the worlde, and their iniquitie vpon the wicked, and I wil cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease, and will cast downe the pride of tyrants.
[Yahweh says], “I will punish [everyone in] the world for the evil things that they do; I will punish the wicked people for the sins that they have committed. I will stop arrogant/proud people from being proud, and I will stop ruthless people from acting cruelly.
12 I will make a man more precious then fine golde, euen a man aboue the wedge of golde of Ophir.
[And because I will cause most people to die], people will be harder to find than gold, harder to find than fine gold from Ophir [in Arabia].
13 Therefore I will shake the heauen, and the earth shall remooue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hostes, and in the day of his fierce anger.
I will shake the sky, and the earth will [also] move out of its place. That will happen when [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, punish [wicked people], when [I show them that] I am extremely angry [with them].
14 And it shall be as a chased doe, and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp. euery man shall turne to his owne people, and flee eche one to his owne lande.
And all [the foreigners in Babylon will run around] like [SIM] deer that are being hunted, like sheep that do not have a shepherd. They will try to find other people from their countries, and [then] they will escape [from Babylon] and return to their own countries.
15 Euery one that is founde, shall be striken through: and whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe, shall fal by the sworde.
Anyone who is captured [in Babylon] will be killed by [their enemies’] swords [DOU].
16 Their children also shall be broken in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be spoiled, and their wiues rauished.
Their little children will be dashed to pieces on the rocks while [their parents] watch; [their enemies] will steal everything valuable from their houses and will rape their wives.
17 Beholde, I will stirre vp the Medes against them, which shall not regarde siluer, nor be desirous of golde.
Look! I am going to incite the people of Media to attack Babylon. The [army of Media] will attack Babylon, even if they are offered [DOU] silver or gold [if they promise to not attack it].
18 With bowes also shall they destroy ye children, and shall haue no compassion vpon the fruit of the wombe, and their eies shall not spare the children.
[With] their arrows, the [soldiers of Media] will shoot the young men [of Babylon]; they will not [even] act mercifully [DOU] toward infants or children!”
19 And Babel the glorie of kingdomes, the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans, shall be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomorah.
Babylon has been a very beautiful [MTY] city; [all] the people of Babylonia have been very proud of Babylon, [their capital city]; [but] God will destroy Babylon, like [SIM] he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall not bee inhabited for euer, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, neither shall the shepheardes make their foldes there.
No one will ever live in Babylon again. It will be deserted forever. (Nomads/People who travel from place to place to live) will refuse to set up their tents there; shepherds will not bring their flocks of sheep to rest there.
21 But Ziim shall lodge there, and their houses shall be ful of Ohim: Ostriches shall dwel there, and the Satyrs shall dance there.
Instead, animals that live in the desert will be there; jackals/wolves will live in [the ruins of] the houses. Owls (OR, Ostriches) will live in [the ruins], and wild goats will romp/jump around [there].
22 And Iim shall crie in their palaces, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and the time thereof is readie to come, and the daies thereof shall not be prolonged.
Hyenas will howl in the [ruined] towers, and jackals/wolves will make their dens in [the ruins of] the palaces that [were previously] very beautiful. The time when [Babylon will be destroyed] is very near; Babylon will not exist much longer.
