Isaiah 13
1 A prophecy concerning Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
2 Upon the bare mountain lift up a banner; Cry aloud to them, wave the hand, That they may enter the gates of the tyrants!
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.
3 I have given orders to my consecrated ones, Yea, I have called upon my mighty ones to execute mine anger, My proud exulters!
I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4 The noise of a multitude upon the mountains, like that of a great people! The tumultuous noise of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts mustereth his army for battle.
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.
5 They come from a distant country, From the end of Heaven, Jehovah and the instruments of his indignation. To lay waste the whole land.
They come from a far country, from way over the horizon. It is Yahweh with his instruments of judgment, to destroy the whole land.
6 Howl ye, for the day of Jehovah is at hand! Like a destruction from the Almighty, it cometh;
Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands hang down, And every heart of man shall melt.
Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
8 They shall be in consternation; Distress and anguish shall lay hold of them; As a woman in travail shall they writhe; They shall look upon one another with amazement: Their faces shall glow like flames.
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.
9 Behold! the day of Jehovah cometh, Terrible, full of wrath and burning indignation, To make the land a waste, And to destroy the sinners out of it.
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.
10 For the stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, Shall not give their light; The sun shall be darkened at his going forth, And the moon shall withhold her light.
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.
11 For I will punish the world for its guilt, And the wicked for their iniquity. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And I will bring down the haughtiness of the tyrants.
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.
12 I will make men scarcer than gold; Yea, men than the gold of Ophir.
I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth shall be shaken out of her place, In the anger of Jehovah of hosts, In the day of his burning indignation.
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.
14 Then shall they be like a chased doe; Like a flock, which no one gathereth together; Every one shall turn to his own people, And every one flee to his own land.
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.
15 Every one that is overtaken shall be thrust through, And every one that is caught shall fall by the sword.
Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
16 Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
17 Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, Who make no account of silver, And as to gold, they do not regard it.
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.
18 Their bows shall strike down the young men, And on the fruit of the womb they shall have no compassion; Their eye shall not pity the children.
Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants and they will not look with pity on children.
19 So shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The proud ornament of the Chaldeans, Be like Sodom and Gomorrah, which God overthrew,
Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall never more be inhabited; Nor shall it be dwelt in through all generations. Nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there, Nor shall shepherds make their folds there.
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.
21 But there shall the wild beasts of the desert lodge, And owls shall fill their houses; And ostriches shall dwell there, And satyrs shall dance there.
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.
22 Wolves shall howl in their palaces, And jackals in their pleasant edifices. Her time is near, And her days shall not be prolonged.
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
