Isaiæ 13
1 Onus Babylonis, quod vidit Isaias, filius Amos.
This is the message Isaiah, son of Amoz, received about Babylon.
2 Super montem caliginosum levate signum: exaltate vocem, levate manum, et ingrediantur portas duces.
Set up a banner on a bare hilltop; shout out to them; wave your hand to encourage them to enter the palaces of princes.
3 Ego mandavi sanctificatis meis, et vocavi fortes meos in ira mea, exsultantes in gloria mea.
I have ordered the ones I have chosen to attack; I have called my warriors to execute my furious judgment and to celebrate my triumph.
4 Vox multitudinis in montibus, quasi populorum frequentium; vox sonitus regum, gentium congregatarum. Dominus exercituum præcepit militiæ belli,
A noise comes from the mountains, sounding like that of a huge crowd! It's the roaring sound from the kingdoms, from nations gathering together! The Lord Almighty is calling up an army for war.
5 venientibus de terra procul, a summitate cæli; Dominus, et vasa furoris ejus, ut disperdat omnem terram.
They are coming from distant lands, from beyond the far horizons—the Lord and the weapons of his fury—coming to destroy the whole country.
6 Ululate, quia prope est dies Domini; quasi vastitas a Domino veniet.
Howl in fear, for the day of the Lord is approaching—the time when the Almighty destroys.
7 Propter hoc omnes manus dissolventur, et omne cor hominis contabescet,
Everyone's hands will fall limp, and everyone will lose their minds in panic.
8 et conteretur. Torsiones et dolores tenebunt; quasi parturiens dolebunt: unusquisque ad proximum suum stupebit, facies combustæ vultus eorum.
They will be terrified; pain and anguish will seize them; they will suffer like a woman giving birth. They will look in shock at each other, their faces burning in fear.
9 Ecce dies Domini veniet, crudelis, et indignationis plenus, et iræ, furorisque, ad ponendam terram in solitudinem, et peccatores ejus conterendos de ea.
Look! The day of the Lord is coming—cruel, with fury and fierce anger—to devastate the land and to wipe out its sinners.
10 Quoniam stellæ cæli, et splendor earum, non expandent lumen suum; obtenebratus est sol in ortu suo, et luna non splendebit in lumine suo.
The stars in the constellations of heaven above will not shine. When the sun rises it will stay dark. The moon will give no light.
11 Et visitabo super orbis mala, et contra impios iniquitatem eorum; et quiescere faciam superbiam infidelium, et arrogantiam fortium humiliabo.
I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their sin, says the Lord. I will put an end to the conceit of the arrogant, and I will humiliate tyrants and their pride.
12 Pretiosior erit vir auro, et homo mundo obrizo.
I will make people scarcer than pure gold, rarer than the gold of Ophir.
13 Super hoc cælum turbabo; et movebitur terra de loco suo, propter indignationem Domini exercituum, et propter diem iræ furoris ejus.
So I will shake the heavens and make the earth jump out of its place because of the fury of the Lord Almighty, at the time when his anger burns.
14 Et erit quasi damula fugiens, et quasi ovis, et non erit qui congreget. Unusquisque ad populum suum convertetur, et singuli ad terram suam fugient.
Like a gazelle being hunted, or like sheep without a shepherd, the Babylonians will return to their own people, they will run away to their own land.
15 Omnis qui inventus fuerit occidetur, et omnis qui supervenerit cadet in gladio;
Anyone who is captured will be stabbed to death; anyone who is caught will be killed by the sword.
16 infantes eorum allidentur in oculis eorum, diripientur domus eorum, et uxores eorum violabuntur.
Their little children will be dashed to pieces as they watch, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be raped.
17 Ecce ego suscitabo super eos Medos, qui argentum non quærant, nec aurum velint;
I'm going to get the Medes to attack them, people who don't care about silver or gold.
18 sed sagittis parvulos interficient, et lactantibus uteris non miserebuntur, et super filios non parcet oculus eorum.
Their bows will slaughter their young men; they will show no mercy to babies; they will have no pity on children.
19 Et erit Babylon illa gloriosa in regnis, inclyta superbia Chaldæorum, sicut subvertit Dominus Sodomam et Gomorrham.
Babylon, the most marvelous city of any kingdom, the greatest pride of the Babylonian people, will be demolished by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 Non habitabitur usque in finem, et non fundabitur usque ad generationem et generationem; nec ponet ibi tentoria Arabs, nec pastores requiescent ibi.
No one will ever live in Babylon again. It will be deserted—no desert nomad will set up a tent there, no shepherd will bring a flock to rest there.
21 Sed requiescent ibi bestiæ, et replebuntur domus eorum draconibus, et habitabunt ibi struthiones, et pilosi saltabunt ibi;
Only desert animals will make their homes there, and the ruined houses will be inhabited by wild dogs. Owls will live there, and wild goats will leap around.
22 et respondebunt ibi ululæ in ædibus ejus, et sirenes in delubris voluptatis.
Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her lavish palaces. Babylon's time is coming soon—they will not last much longer.
