A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecyf against Babylong that Isaiah son of Amozh saw:i

2 Raise a bannerj on a bare hilltop,

shout to them;

beckon to them

to enter the gatesk of the nobles.

3 I have commanded those I prepared for battle;

I have summoned my warriorsl to carry out my wrathm—

those who rejoicen in my triumph.

4 Listen, a noise on the mountains,

like that of a great multitude!o

Listen, an uproarp among the kingdoms,

like nations massing together!

The Lord Almightyq is musteringr

an army for war.

5 They come from faraway lands,

from the ends of the heavenss—

the Lord and the weaponst of his wrathu—

to destroyv the whole country.

6 Wail,w for the dayx of the Lord is near;

it will come like destructiony from the Almighty.a z

7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,a

every heart will melt with fear.b

8 Terrorc will seize them,

pain and anguish will gripd them;

they will writhe like a woman in labor.e

They will look aghast at each other,

their faces aflame.f

9 See, the dayg of the Lord is coming

—a cruelh day, with wrathi and fierce angerj—

to make the land desolate

and destroy the sinners within it.

10 The stars of heaven and their constellations

will not show their light.k

The rising sunl will be darkenedm

and the moon will not give its light.n

11 I will punisho the world for its evil,

the wickedp for their sins.

I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughtyq

and will humbler the pride of the ruthless.s

12 I will make peoplet scarcer than pure gold,

more rare than the gold of Ophir.u

13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;v

and the earth will shakew from its place

at the wrathx of the Lord Almighty,

in the day of his burning anger.y

14 Like a huntedz gazelle,

like sheep without a shepherd,a

they will all return to their own people,

they will fleeb to their native land.c

15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;

all who are caught will falld by the sword.e

16 Their infantsf will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;

their houses will be looted and their wives violated.g

17 See, I will stir uph against them the Medes,i

who do not care for silver

and have no delight in gold.j

18 Their bowsk will strike down the young men;l

they will have no mercym on infants,

nor will they look with compassion on children.n

19 Babylon,o the jewel of kingdoms,p

the pride and gloryq of the Babylonians,b

will be overthrownr by God

like Sodom and Gomorrah.s

20 She will never be inhabitedt

or lived in through all generations;

there no nomadsu will pitch their tents,

there no shepherds will rest their flocks.

21 But desert creaturesv will lie there,

jackalsw will fill her houses;

there the owlsx will dwell,

and there the wild goatsy will leap about.

22 Hyenasz will inhabit her strongholds,a

jackalsb her luxurious palaces.

Her time is at hand,c

and her days will not be prolonged.d