Isaiah 13
1 The burden of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz hath seen:
A declaration about Babylon, that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
2 'On a high mountain lift ye up an ensign, Raise the voice to them, wave the hand, And they go in to the openings of nobles.
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 charge to My sanctified ones, Also I have called My mighty ones for Mine anger, Those rejoicing at Mine excellency.'
I have commanded my holy ones, yes, I have called my mighty men to execute my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4 A voice of a multitude in the mountains, A likeness of a numerous people, A voice of noise from the kingdoms of nations who are gathered, Jehovah of Hosts inspecting a host of 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 are coming in from a land afar off, From the end of the heavens, Jehovah and the instruments of His indignation, To destroy all the 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 near [is] the day of Jehovah, As destruction from the Mighty it cometh.
Howl, for the day of Yahweh is near; it comes with destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore, all hands do fail, And every heart of man doth melt.
Therefore all hands hang limp, and every heart melts.
8 And they have been troubled, Pains and pangs they take, As a travailing woman they are pained, A man at his friend they marvel, The appearance of flames — their 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 day of Jehovah doth come, Fierce, with wrath, and heat of anger, To make the land become a desolation, Yea, its sinning ones He destroyeth from 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 the heavens, and their constellations, Cause not their light to shine, Darkened hath been the sun in its going out, And the moon causeth not its light to come forth.
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 I have appointed on the world evil, And on the wicked their iniquity, And have caused to cease the excellency of the proud, And the excellency of the terrible I make low.
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 make man more rare than fine gold, And a common man than pure 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 the heavens I cause to tremble, And the earth doth shake from its place, In the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts, And in a day of the heat of his anger.
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 hath been, as a roe driven away, And as a flock that hath no gatherer, Each unto his people — they turn, And each unto his land — they flee.
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 who is found is thrust through, And every one who is added falleth by sword.
Every one who is found will be killed, and every one who is captured will die by the sword.
16 And their sucklings are dashed to pieces before their eyes, Spoiled are their houses, and their wives lain with.
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered and their wives raped.
17 Lo, I am stirring up against them the Medes, Who silver esteem not, And gold — they delight not in 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 And bows dash young men to pieces, And the fruit of the womb they pity not, On sons their eye hath no pity.
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 Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, The glory, the excellency of the Chaldeans, Hath been as overthrown by God, With Sodom and with Gomorrah.
Then Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the splendor of Chaldean pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 She doth not sit for ever, Nor continueth unto many generations, Nor doth Arab pitch tent there, And shepherds lie not down 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 And Ziim have lain down there, And full have been their houses of howlings, And dwelt there have daughters of an ostrich, And goats do skip 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 Aiim have responded in his forsaken habitations, And dragons in palaces of delight, And near to come [is] her time, And her days are not drawn out!
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the beautiful palaces. Her time is near, and her days will not be delayed.
