Isaiah 13:1–22

God Will Punish Babylon

13^*This is a message about Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz received from God.

^2*On the top of a barren hill raise the battle flag! Shout to the soldiers and raise your arm as the signal for them to attack the gates of the proud city. ^3*The Lord has called out his proud and confident soldiers to fight a holy war and punish those he is angry with.

^4*Listen to the noise on the mountains—the sound of a great crowd of people, the sound of nations and kingdoms gathering. The Lord of Armies is preparing his troops for battle. ^5*They are coming from far-off countries at the ends of the earth. In his anger the Lord is coming to devastate the whole country.

^6*Howl in pain! The day of the Lord is near, the day when the Almighty brings destruction. ^7*Everyone’s hands will hang limp, and everyone’s courage will fail. ^8*They will all be terrified and overcome with pain, like the pain of a woman in labour. They will look at each other in fear, and their faces will burn with shame. ^9*The day of the Lord is coming—that cruel day of his fierce anger and fury. The earth will be made a wilderness, and every sinner will be destroyed. ^10*Every star and every constellation will stop shining, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will give no light.

^11*The Lord says, “I will bring disaster on the earth and punish all wicked people for their sins. I will humble everyone who is proud and punish everyone who is arrogant and cruel. ^12*Those who survive will be scarcer than gold. ^13*I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place on that day when I, the Lord Almighty, show my anger.

^14*“The foreigners living in Babylon will run away to their own countries, scattering like deer escaping from hunters, like sheep without a shepherd. ^15*Anyone who is caught will be stabbed to death. ^16*While they look on helplessly, their babies will be battered to death, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be raped.”

^17*The Lord says, “I am stirring up the Medes^z to attack Babylon. They care nothing for silver and are not tempted by gold. ^18*With their bows and arrows they will kill the young men. They will show no mercy to babies and take no pity on children. ^19*Babylonia is the most beautiful kingdom of all; it is the pride of its people. But I, the Lord, will overthrow Babylon as I did Sodom and Gomorrah! ^20*No one will ever live there again. No wandering Arab will ever pitch his tent there, and no shepherd will ever pasture his flock there. ^21*It will be a place where desert animals live and where owls build their nests. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will prance through the ruins. ^22*The towers and palaces will echo with the cries of hyenas and jackals. Babylon’s time has come! Her days are almost over.”