1 ¶ The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 L ift ye up a banner as an example upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, raise the hand, that they may enter in by gates of princes.

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

3 I have commanded my sanctified ones; I have also called my mighty ones for my anger that they might rejoice with my glory.

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

4 T he noise of a multitude in the mountains like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of kingdoms, of Gentiles gathered together: the LORD of the hosts orders the host of the battle.

The 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.

5 T hey come from a far land, from the end of the heavens, even the LORD, and the instruments of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.

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

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

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

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

Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt,

8 A nd they shall be filled with terror; anguish and pain shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

and 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.

9 B ehold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Behold, 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.

10 F or this reason the stars of the heavens and the lights thereof shall not shine: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not give forth her light.

For 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.

11 A nd I will visit evil upon the world and iniquity upon the wicked, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the strong.

And 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.

12 I will make the noble man more precious than fine gold and man more than the gold of Ophir.

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

13 B ecause I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be moved out of her place, in the indignation of the LORD of the hosts and in the day of his fierce anger.

Therefore 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.

14 A nd it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep without a shepherd: they shall each man look unto his own people, and flee each one unto his own land.

And 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.

15 E very one that is found shall be thrust through, and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

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

16 T heir children shall also be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

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

17 B ehold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not look for silver, nor covet gold.

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

18 T hey shall shoot at the young boys with bows, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare the sons.

And 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.

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

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

20 I t shall never again be inhabited; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there, neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

It 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.

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

But 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.

22 A nd the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their palaces, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

And 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.