Isaiah 13

A Prophecy Against Babylon

A prophecy^a concerning Babylon^b that Isaiah son of Amoz^c saw:^d

Raise a banner^e on a bare hilltop,

shout to them;

beckon to them

to enter the gates^f of the nobles.

I have commanded my holy ones;

I have summoned my warriors^g to carry out my wrath^h—

those who rejoiceⁱ in my triumph.

Listen, a noise on the mountains,

like that of a great multitude!^j

Listen, an uproar^k among the kingdoms,

like nations massing together!

The Lord Almighty^l is mustering^m

an army for war.

They come from faraway lands,

from the ends of the heavensⁿ—

the Lord and the weapons^o of his wrath^p—

to destroy^q the whole country.

Wail,^r for the day^s of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction^t from the Almighty.^u

Because of this, all hands will go limp,^v

every man’s heart will melt.^w

Terror^x will seize them,

pain and anguish will grip^y them;

they will writhe like a woman in labor.^z

They will look aghast at each other,

their faces aflame.^a

See, the day^b of the Lord is coming

—a cruel^c day, with wrath^d and fierce anger^e—

to make the land desolate

and destroy the sinners within it.

The stars of heaven and their constellations

will not show their light.^f

The rising sun^g will be darkened^h

and the moon will not give its light.ⁱ

I will punish^j the world for its evil,

the wicked^k for their sins.

I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty^l

and will humble^m the pride of the ruthless.ⁿ

I will make people^o scarcer than pure gold,

more rare than the gold of Ophir.^p

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;^q

and the earth will shake^r from its place

at the wrath^s of the Lord Almighty,

in the day of his burning anger.^t

Like a hunted^u gazelle,

like sheep without a shepherd,^v

they will all return to their own people,

they will flee^w to their native land.^x

Whoever is captured will be thrust through;

all who are caught will fall^y by the sword.^z

Their infants^a will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;

their houses will be looted and their wives ravished.^b

See, I will stir up^c against them the Medes,^d

who do not care for silver

and have no delight in gold.^e

Their bows^f will strike down the young men;^g

they will have no mercy^h on infants

nor will they look with compassion on children.ⁱ

Babylon,^j the jewel of kingdoms,^k

the pride and glory^l of the Babylonians,

will be overthrown^m by God

like Sodom and Gomorrah.ⁿ

She will never be inhabited^o

or lived in through all generations;

there no nomads^p will pitch their tents,

there no shepherds will rest their flocks.

But desert creatures^q will lie there,

jackals^r will fill her houses;

there the owls^s will dwell,

and there the wild goats^t will leap about.

Hyenas^u will inhabit her strongholds,^v

jackals^w her luxurious palaces.

Her time is at hand,^x

and her days will not be prolonged.^y