1 T he burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

The special word about Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

2 L ift up a banner upon a bare mountain, raise the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

Lift up a flag on the hill without trees. Call out to the people. Wave the hand for them to go into the gates of the princes.

3 I have commanded my hallowed ones, I have also called my mighty men for mine anger, them that rejoice in my highness.

I have told My holy ones, and My powerful soldiers who take pride in their strength, to carry out My anger.

4 T he noise of a multitude on the mountains, as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations assembled together: Jehovah of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

Listen to the noise on the mountains, like that of many people! Listen to the loud sound of the many people, of nations gathered together! The Lord of All is gathering an army for battle.

5 T hey come from a far country, from the end of the heavens—Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation—to destroy the whole land.

They are coming from a far country, from the end of the heavens. The Lord and all He is using to show His anger are coming to destroy the whole land.

6 H owl, for the day of Jehovah is at hand; it cometh as destruction from the Almighty.

Cry out in sorrow, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as a destroying power from the All-powerful.

7 T herefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt,

So all hands will become weak, and every man’s heart will melt.

8 a nd they shall be terrified: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them, they shall writhe as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another, their faces shall be as flames.

They will be filled with fear. Pain and suffering will take hold of them. They will suffer like a woman giving birth. They will look surprised at one another, their faces burning.

9 B ehold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth desolate; and he will destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

See, the day of the Lord is coming, without pity and with much anger. He is coming to destroy the land and its sinners from it.

10 F or the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

The stars of heaven and every group of stars will not give out their light. The sun will be dark when it comes up, and the moon will not give its light.

11 A nd I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will make the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will bring low the haughtiness of the violent.

This is how I will punish the world for its sin, and the sinful for their wrong-doing. I will also put an end to those who are proud. And I will put to shame those who make it hard for others and show no pity.

12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even man than the gold of Ophir.

I will make men so few that they will be of more worth than pure gold, even the gold of Ophir.

13 T herefore I will make the heavens to shake, and the earth shall be removed out of her place, at the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

I will make the heavens shake. And the earth will be shaken from its place with the anger of the Lord of All in the day of His burning anger.

14 A nd it shall be as with a chased roe, and as with a flock that no man gathereth together; every one shall turn to his own people, and every one flee into his own land.

Every man will turn to his own people and run to his own land like a hunted gazelle or like sheep with no shepherd.

15 A ll that are found shall be thrust through; and every one that is in league shall fall by the sword.

Anyone who is found will have a spear put through him. And anyone who is caught will fall by the sword.

16 A nd their infants shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes, their houses shall be rifled, and their women ravished.

Their little ones will be broken in pieces in front of their eyes. Their things will be taken from their houses. And their wives will be carried away.

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

See, I am going to make the Medes go against them, who will not want silver or be happy with gold.

18 A nd bows shall dash the young men to pieces, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb: their eye shall not spare children.

Their bows will cut down the young men. They will have no pity on babies. Their eyes will not pity children.

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

And Babylon, the beauty of nations, the shining-greatness and pride of the Babylonians, will be as when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 I t shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in, even to generation and generation; nor shall Arabian pitch tent there, nor shepherds make fold there.

People will never live in it again, even all the people-to-come. No Arab will set up his tent there. No shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.

21 B ut beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of owls; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.

But wild animals of the desert will lie down there. Their houses will be full of owls. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will play there.

22 A nd jackals shall cry to one another in their palaces, and wild dogs in the pleasant castles. And her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Hyenas will make noise in their strong towers, and wild dogs in their beautiful houses. The end of her time is near. Her days will be few.