1 T he oracle concerning 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 standard on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors 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 consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To execute My anger.
I have told My holy ones, and My powerful soldiers who take pride in their strength, to carry out My anger.
4 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.
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 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
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 W ail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will 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 will fall limp, And every man’s heart will melt.
So all hands will become weak, and every man’s heart will melt.
8 T hey 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.
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 is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from 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 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.
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 T hus 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.
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 mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind 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 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.
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 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.
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 nyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will 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 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
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 am going to stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold.
See, I am going to make the Medes go against them, who will not want silver or be happy with gold.
18 A nd 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.
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 beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will 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 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.
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 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.
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 H yenas 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.
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.