Chapter 13

The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.¹

Lift ye up³ a banner upon the high¹² mountain, exalt⁵⁴ the voice unto them, shake⁵⁴ the hand, that they may go⁴ into the gates of the nobles.

I have commanded¹⁴ my sanctified ones,³⁰ I have also called¹ my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness.

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered¹² together: the LORD of hosts mustereth¹⁸ the host of the battle.

They come⁶ from a far country, from the end of heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy¹⁵ the whole land.

Howl⁵⁴ ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come⁴ as a destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore shall all hands be faint,⁴ and every man's heart shall melt:¹¹

And they shall be afraid:⁸ pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;⁴ they shall be in pain⁴ as a woman that travaileth:⁶ they shall be amazed⁴ one at another; their faces [shall be as] flames.

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,¹ cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay² the land desolate: and he shall destroy⁵⁵ the sinners thereof out of it.

For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give⁵⁵ their light: the sun shall be darkened¹ in his going forth,² and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.⁵⁵

And I will punish¹ the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease,⁵² and will lay low⁵⁵ the haughtiness of the terrible.

I will make a man more precious⁵⁵ than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

Therefore I will shake⁵⁵ the heavens, and the earth shall remove⁴ out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

And it shall be as the chased⁹⁴ roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up:¹⁸ they shall every man turn⁴ to his own people, and flee⁴ every one into his own land.

Every one that is found¹² shall be thrust through;¹¹ and every one that is joined¹² [unto them] shall fall⁴ by the sword.

Their children also shall be dashed to pieces²⁹ before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled,¹¹ and their wives ravished.^{11 7693 11}

Behold, I will stir up⁵⁶ the Medes against them, which shall not regard⁴ silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight⁴ in it.

[Their] bows also shall dash the young men to pieces;¹⁷ and they shall have no pity¹⁷ on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare⁴ children.

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

It shall never ⁵³³¹ be inhabited,⁴ neither shall it be dwelt⁴ in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent¹⁷ there; neither shall the shepherds⁶ make their fold⁵⁵ there.

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie¹ there; and their houses shall be full¹ of doleful creatures; and owls ³²⁸⁴ shall dwell¹ there, and satyrs shall dance¹⁷ there.

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry¹ in their desolate houses, and dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and her time [is] near to come,² and her days shall not be prolonged.¹¹