Isaiah 13
1 A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
The doom of Babylon, which Isaiah Amoz' son foresaw.
2 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.
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.
3 I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
I have charged my prepared ones, I have also called my heroes for my anger, those that rejoice in my highness.
4 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.
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.
5 They come from a far country, from way over the horizon. It is Yahweh with his instruments of judgment, to destroy the whole land.
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.
6 Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
Wail ye; for nigh is the day of the Lord; like wasting from the Almighty shall it come.
7 Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
Therefore all hands shall become weak, and every mortal's heart shall melt;
8 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.
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.
9 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.
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.
10 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.
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.
11 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.
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.
12 I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
I will make the mortal more precious than fine gold; and man, more than the valued metal of Ophir.
13 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.
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.
14 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.
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.
15 Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.
16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
And their babes shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes: spoiled shall be their houses, and their wives ravished.
17 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.
Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes; who will not regard silver, and who will not delight in gold.
18 Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants and they will not look with pity on children.
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.
19 Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
And [thus] shall Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the proud ornament of the Chaldeans, become like the overthrow through God of Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 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.
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.
21 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.
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.
22 Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
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.
