Isaiah 13
1 The doom of Babylon, which Isaiah Amoz' son foresaw.
The burden of Babylon, which Isaias the son of Amos saw.
2 Upon a high mountain lift ye up a banner, raise high your voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may enter into the gates of the princes.
Upon the dark mountain lift ye up a banner, exalt the voice, lift up the hand, and let the rulers go into the gates.
3 I have charged my prepared ones, I have also called my heroes for my anger, those that rejoice in my highness.
I have commanded my sanctified ones, and have called my strong ones in my wrath, them that rejoice in my glory.
4 There is a noise of tumult on the mountains, like that of a numerous people; a noise of shouting of kingdoms of nations assembled; the Lord of hosts mustereth a host of battle.
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as it were of many people, the noise of the sound of kings, of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts hath given charge to the troops of war.
5 They are coming from a far-off country, from the end of the heavens, [here is] the Lord, with the weapons of his indignation, to destroy all the land.
To them that come from a country afar off, from the end of heaven: tile Lord and the instruments of his wrath, to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail ye; for nigh is the day of the Lord; like wasting from the Almighty shall it come.
Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is near: it shall come as a destruction from the Lord.
7 Therefore all hands shall become weak, and every mortal's heart shall melt;
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every heart of man shall melt,
8 And they shall be affrighted, pangs and pains shall seize on them; they shall have throes as a woman that travaileth; one at the other shall they look amazed; red like flames shall their faces glow.
And shall be broken. Gripings and pains shall take hold of them, they shall be in pain as a woman in labour. Every one shall be amazed at his neighbour, their countenances shall be as faces burnt.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, direful, [laden] with wrath and the fierceness of anger, to render the earth desolate: and its sinners will he destroy out of it.
Behold, the day of the Lord shall come, a cruel day, and full of indignation, and of wrath, and fury, to lay the land desolate, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give forth their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not shed abroad her light.
For the stars of heaven, and their brightness shall not display their light: the sun shall be darkened in his rising, and the moon shall not shine with her light.
11 And I will visit on the world its evil, and on the wicked their iniquity; and I will stop the arrogance of the presumptuous, and the haughtiness of the tyrants will I humble.
And I will visit the evils of the world, and against the wicked for their iniquity: and I will make the pride of infidels to cease, and will bring down the arrogancy of the mighty.
12 I will make the mortal more precious than fine gold; and man, more than the valued metal of Ophir.
A man shall be more precious than gold, yea a man than the finest of gold.
13 Therefore will I shake the heavens, and the earth shall start quaking out of her place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and on the day of his fierce anger.
For this I will trouble the heaven: and the earth shall be moved out of her place, for the indignation of the Lord of hosts, and for the day of his tierce wrath.
14 And the people shall be as the chased roe, and as flocks which no one gathereth up; every man to his own people shall they turn, and every man into his own land shall they flee.
And they shall be as a doe fleeing away, and as a sheep: and there shall be none to gather them together: every man shall turn to his own people, and every one shall 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 that shall be found, shall be slain: and every one that shall come to their aid, shall fall by the sword.
16 And their babes shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes: spoiled shall be their houses, and their wives ravished.
Their infants shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be pillaged, and their wives shall be ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes; who will not regard silver, and who will not delight in gold.
Behold I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not seek silver, nor desire gold:
18 And their bows will dash young men to pieces; and on the fruit of the womb will they have no mercy; on children their eye will not look with pity.
But with their arrows they shall kill the children, and shall have no pity upon the sucklings of the womb, and their eye shall not spare their sons.
19 And [thus] shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the proud ornament of the Chaldeans, become like the overthrow through God of Sodom and Gomorrah.
And that Babylon, glorious among kingdoms, the famous pride of the Chaldeans, shall be even as the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha.
20 It shall not be inhabited for ever, and it shall not be dwelt in from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch there his tent; and shepherds shall not let their flocks rest there.
It shall no more be inhabited for ever, and it shall not be founded unto generation and generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, nor shall shepherds rest there.
21 But there shall rest the wild beasts of the desert; and their houses shall be full of owls; and ostriches shall dwell there, and evil spirits shall dance there.
But wild beasts shall rest there, and their houses shall be filled with serpents, and ostriches shall dwell there, and the hairy ones shall dance there:
22 And jackals shall howl in her palaces, and monsters in the temples of pleasure; and near to come is her time, and her days shall not be extended.
And owls shall answer one another there, in the houses thereof, and sirens in the temples of pleasure.
