Isaiah 13
1 The doom of Babylon, which Isaiah Amoz' son foresaw.
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz 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.
Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
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 consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
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 is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! The LORD of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
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.
They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail ye; for nigh is the day of the Lord; like wasting from the Almighty shall it come.
Wail, for the LORD’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore all hands shall become weak, and every mortal's heart shall melt;
Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will 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.
They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labour. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
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 comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners 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 the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
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.
I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible.
12 I will make the mortal more precious than fine gold; and man, more than the valued metal of Ophir.
I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.
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.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the LORD of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger.
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.
It will happen that like a hunted gazelle and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their 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.
Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will 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 also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.
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 will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
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.
Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
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.
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
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 will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down 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 animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic 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.
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
