13
1 The
burden of Babylon,
which Isaiah the
son of Amoz saw.
2 Set
up a banner
on the bare
mountain! Lift up
your voice to
them! Wave your
hand, that they may
go into the gates
of the nobles.
3 I
have commanded my
consecrated ones;
yes, I have
called my mighty
men for my anger,
even my proudly
exulting ones.
4 The
noise of a
multitude is in
the mountains, as
of a great
people; the noise
of an uproar
of the kingdoms
of the nations
gathered together!
The LORD of
Armies is
mustering the army
for the battle.
5 They come
from a far country,
from the uttermost
part of heaven,
even the LORD,
and the weapons
of his indignation,
to destroy the
whole land.
6 Wail,
for the LORD’s
day is at
hand! It will come
as destruction
from the Almighty.
7 Therefore
all hands will
be feeble, and
everyone’s heart
will melt.
8 They
will be dismayed.
Pangs and sorrows
will seize them.
They will be
in pain like
a woman in
labor. They will
look in amazement
one at another.
Their faces will
be faces of
flame.
9 Behold,
the day of
the LORD comes,
cruel, with wrath
and fierce anger;
to make the land
a desolation, and
to destroy its
sinners out of
it.
10 For
the stars of
the sky and
its constellations
will not give
their light. The
sun will be
darkened in its
going out, and
the moon will
not cause its
light to shine.
11 I
will punish the
world for their
evil, and the
wicked for their
iniquity. I
will cause the
arrogance of the
proud to cease,
and will humble
the arrogance of
the terrible.
12 I will
make people more rare than fine
gold, even a person than the
pure gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore
I will make the
heavens tremble,
and the earth
will be shaken
out of its
place in the
LORD of Armies’
wrath, and in
the day of
his fierce anger.
14 It
will happen that
like a hunted
gazelle and like
sheep that no
one gathers, they
will each turn
to their own
people, and will
each flee to
their own land.
15 Everyone
who is found
will be thrust
through. Everyone
who is captured
will fall by
the sword.
16 Their
infants also will
be dashed in
pieces before
their eyes. Their
houses will
be ransacked, and
their wives raped.
17 Behold,
I will stir
up the Medes
against them, who
will not value
silver, and as
for gold, they
will not delight
in it.
18 Their
bows will dash
the young men
in pieces; and
they shall have
no pity on
the fruit of
the womb. Their
eyes will not
spare children.
19 Babylon,
the glory of
kingdoms, the
beauty of the
Chaldeans’ pride,
will be like
when God overthrew
Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It
will never be
inhabited, neither
will it be
lived in from
generation to
generation. The
Arabian will not
pitch a tent there,
neither will
shepherds make
their flocks lie
down there.
21 But wild animals
of the desert
will lie there,
and their houses
will be full
of jackals. Ostriches
will dwell there,
and wild goats
will frolic there.
22 Hyenas will
cry in
their fortresses, and
jackals in the
pleasant palaces.
Her time is
near to come, and
her days will
not be prolonged.