1 ¶ The 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 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 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 sanctified ones; I have also called my mighty ones for my anger that they might rejoice with my glory.

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 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.

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 land, from the end of the heavens, even the LORD, and the instruments of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.

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 ¶ Howl; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come 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 all hands shall be faint, 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 the noble man more precious than fine gold and man more 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 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.

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 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.

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 E very one that is found shall be thrust through, and every one that is joined unto them 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 T heir children shall also be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives 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, which shall not look for silver, nor covet gold.

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

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.

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

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 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 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 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.

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.