THE BOOK OF ISAIAH

 

Isaiah Chapter 13

1 ¶ The sentence on Babylon, that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw in a vision.

2 Raise up a banner on a high mountain, call out to them, and beckon with the hand, so that they may enter through the gates of the nobles.

3 I have commanded my chosen ones, I have called my mighty ones to execute my anger, even those who are made to triumph for my honor.

4 Listen to the tumult in the hills, like that of a large crowd; listen to the uproar among the kingdoms; nations are gathering: the LORD of hosts is getting an army together for battle.

5 They are coming from a distant country, from the farthest horizon, even the LORD, with the weapons he uses in his anger, to destroy the whole land.

6 ¶ Wail; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

7 Therefore all hands will hang helplessly, and every man’s heart will melt:

8 They will be terrified: pain and agony will seize them; they will be in pain like a woman in travail: they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be as flames.

9 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel with rage and fierce anger, to destroy the earth: and he will destroy the sinners on it.

10 For the stars of heaven and its constellations will not shine anymore: the sun will be darkened in its course, and the moon will no longer give her light.

11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their sin; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of tyrants.

12 I will make men more rare than fine gold; and humans harder to find than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 This is why I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the anger of the LORD of hosts, on the day of his flaming fury.

14 And they will be like the hunted gazelle, and like sheep that have no one to gather them: they will all return to their own people, and flee to their own land.

15 Every one who is found will be thrust through; and every one who is caught will die by the sword.

16 Their children will also be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be robbed, and their wives raped.

17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver; and do not delight in gold.

18 Their bows will cut down the young men; and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare the children.

19 ¶ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

20 It will never be inhabited again, nor will it be lived in from generation to generation: no Arabian will pitch their tent there; nor will the shepherds let their flocks rest there.

21 But the wild animals of the desert will lie down there; and their houses will be full of howling creatures; owls will live there, and wild goats will leap about.

22 Hyenas will howl in her fortresses, and reptiles will infest the mansions where they delighted themselves: her time is almost up, and her days will not be prolonged.