1 T he special word about Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

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

2 L ift 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.

“Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

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

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— Those who rejoice in My exaltation.”

4 L isten 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.

The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts musters The army for battle.

5 T hey 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.

They come from a far country, From the end of heaven— The Lord and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.

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

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

7 S o all hands will become weak, and every man’s heart will melt.

Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt,

8 T hey 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.

And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.

9 S ee, 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.

Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.

10 T he 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.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 T his 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.

“I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

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

I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 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.

Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.

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

It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land.

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

Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

16 T heir 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.

Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.

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

“Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it.

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

Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children.

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

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

20 P eople 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.

It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.

21 B ut 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.

But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there.

22 H yenas 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.

The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged.”