1A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:2Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.3I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath – those who rejoice in my triumph.4Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war.5They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens – the Lord and the weapons of his wrath – to destroy the whole country.6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[1]7Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear.8Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labour. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.9See, the day of the Lord is coming – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger – to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.12I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.14Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.15Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword.16Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.17See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.18Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children.19Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians,[2] will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.20She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.21But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.22Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.
Isaiah 13
English Standard Version
The Judgment of Babylon
1The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. (Isa 1:1; Isa 13:19; Isa 14:4; Isa 21:9; Isa 47:1)2On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. (Isa 5:26; Isa 41:25)3I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.[1]4The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. (Jos 5:13; Isa 22:5)5They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.[2] (Isa 46:11)6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty[3] it will come! (Isa 2:12; Isa 14:31; Isa 15:2; Isa 15:8; Isa 16:7; Jer 51:8; Eze 30:2; Joe 1:15; Zep 1:7)7Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. (Jos 2:11)8They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. (Isa 26:17; Jer 4:31; Jer 6:24; Mic 4:9; Na 2:10; Joh 16:21)9Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. (Ps 104:35; Isa 13:6)10For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. (Isa 34:4; Eze 32:7; Joe 2:31; Joe 3:15; Mt 24:29; Mr 13:24; Lu 21:25)11I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. (Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17; Isa 24:4; Isa 24:21)12I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. (1Ki 10:11; Job 28:16; Isa 24:6)13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. (Hag 2:6)14And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. (1Ki 22:36; Jer 50:16; Jer 51:9)15Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. (Ps 137:9; Na 3:10)17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. (Isa 21:2; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:28; Da 5:28; Da 5:31)18Their bows will slaughter[4] the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. (Jer 50:14; Jer 50:29; Jer 51:3)19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. (Ge 19:24; Isa 1:9; Isa 47:5; Jer 50:40; Am 4:11)20It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. (Jer 3:2; Jer 33:12; Jer 51:37; Jer 51:43)21But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches[5] will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39)22Hyenas[6] will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged. (Isa 25:2; Isa 35:7; Jer 51:37; Am 3:15)