Isaiah 13
1 The birthun of Babiloyne, which birthun Ysaie, the sone of Amos, siy.
A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
2 Reise ye a signe on a myisti hil, and enhaunse ye vois; reise ye the hond, and duykis entre bi the yatis.
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 Y haue comaundid to myn halewid men, and Y clepid my stronge men in my wraththe, that maken ful out ioie in my glorie.
I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4 The vois of multitude in hillis, as of many puplis; the vois of sown of kyngis, of hethene men gaderit togidere. The Lord of oostis comaundide to the chyualry of batel,
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 to men comynge fro a fer lond. The Lord cometh fro the hiynesse of heuene, and the vessels of his strong veniaunce, that he distrie al the lond.
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 Yelle ye, for the dai of the Lord is niy; as wastyng it schal come of the Lord.
Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
7 For this thing alle hondis schulen be vnmyyti, and eche herte of man schal faile,
Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
8 and schal be al to-brokun. Gnawyngis and sorewis schulen holde Babiloyns; thei schulen haue sorewe, as they that trauelen of child. Ech man schal wondre at his neiybore; her cheris schulen be brent faces.
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 Lo! the dai of the Lord schal come, cruel, and ful of indignacioun, and of wraththe, and of woodnesse; to sette the lond into wildirnesse, and to al to-breke the synneris therof fro that lond.
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 whi the sterris of heuene and the schynyng of tho schulen not sprede abrood her liyt; the sunne is maade derk in his risyng, and the moone schal not schine in hir liyt.
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 And Y schal visite on the yuels of the world, and Y schal visite ayens wickid men the wickidnesse of hem; and Y schal make the pride of vnfeithful men for to reste, and Y schal make low the boost of stronge men.
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 A man of ful age schal be preciousere than gold, and a man schal be preciousere than pure gold and schynyng.
I will make men more rare than fine gold and mankind harder to find than the pure gold of Ophir.
13 On this thing I schal disturble heuene, and the erthe schal be moued fro his place; for the indignacioun of the Lord of oostis, and for the dai of wraththe of his strong veniaunce.
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 And it schal be as a doo fleynge, and as a scheep, and noon schal be that schal gadere togidere; ech man schal turne to his puple, and alle bi hem silf schulen fle to her lond.
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 Ech man that is foundun, schal be slayn; and ech man that cometh aboue, schal falle doun bi swerd.
Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
16 The yonge children of them schulen be hurtlid doun bifore the iyen of them; her housis schulen be rauischid, and her wyues schulen be defoulid.
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
17 Lo! Y schal reise on them Medeis, that seken not siluer, nethir wolen gold;
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 but thei shulen sle litle children bi arowis, and thei schulen not haue merci on wombis yyuynge mylk, and the iye of them schal not spare on sones.
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 And Babiloyne, thilke gloriouse citee in rewmes, noble in the pride of Caldeis, schal be destried, as God destried Sodom and Gomore.
Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall not be enhabitid til in to the ende, and it schal not be foundid til to generacioun and generacioun; a man of Arabie schal not sette tentis there, and scheepherdis schulen not reste 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 wielde beestis schulen reste there, and the housis of hem schulen be fillid with dragouns; and ostrichis schulen dwelle there, and heeri beestis schulen skippe 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 And bitouris schulen answere there in the housis therof, and fliynge serpentis in the templis of lust.
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
