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 S et up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into 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 consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

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 is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Yahweh of Armies is mustering the army for 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 uttermost part of heaven, even Yahweh, 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 W ail; for the day of Yahweh is at hand! 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 be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.

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

8 T hey will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.

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 Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners 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 sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its 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 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible.

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 people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure 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 out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, 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 I t will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their 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 veryone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone 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 infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.

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 will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not 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 T heir bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will 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 B abylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like 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, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither 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 wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild 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 W olves will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to 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.