1 T he mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw:

The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 R aise up a signal banner upon the high and bare mountain, summon them with loud voice and beckoning hand that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

Lift up a standard on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.

3 I Myself have commanded My designated ones and have summoned My mighty men to execute My anger, even My proudly exulting ones —those who are made to triumph for My honor.

I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To execute My anger.

4 H ark, the uproar of a multitude in the mountains, like that of a great people! The noise of the tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.

A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle.

5 T hey come from a distant country, from the uttermost part of the heavens —even the Lord and the weapons of His indignation—to seize and destroy the whole land.

They are coming from a far country, From the farthest horizons, The Lord and His instruments of indignation, To destroy the whole land. Judgment on the Day of the Lord

6 W ail, for the day of the Lord is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty and Sufficient One will it come!

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

7 T herefore will all hands be feeble, and every man’s heart will melt.

Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man’s heart will melt.

8 A nd they shall be dismayed and terrified, pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in childbirth. They will gaze stupefied and aghast at one another, their faces will be aflame.

They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.

9 B ehold, the day of the Lord is coming!—fierce, with wrath and raging anger—to make the land and the earth a desolation and to destroy out of it its sinners.

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.

10 F or the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened at its rising and the moon will not shed its light.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.

11 A nd I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their guilt and iniquity; I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible and the boasting of the violent and ruthless.

Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

12 I will make a man more rare than fine gold, and mankind scarcer than the pure gold of Ophir.

I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir.

13 T herefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth shall be shaken out of its place at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of His fierce anger.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In the day of His burning anger.

14 A nd like the chased roe or gazelle, and like sheep that no man gathers, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.

And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, Or like sheep with none to gather them, They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land.

15 E veryone who is found will be thrust through, and everyone who is connected with the slain and is caught will fall by the sword.

Anyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

16 T heir infants also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.

Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. Babylon Will Fall to the Medes

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

Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold.

18 T heir bows will cut down the young men; and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb, their eyes will not spare children.

And their bows will mow down the young men, They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, Nor will their eye pity children.

19 A nd Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, shall be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 s hall never be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arab pitch his tent there, nor shall the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.

It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

21 B ut wild beasts of the desert will lie down there, and the people’s houses will be full of dolefully howling creatures; and ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will dance there.

But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.

22 A nd wolves and howling creatures will cry and answer in the deserted castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. And time has nearly come, and her days will not be prolonged.

Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.