Isaiah, 13

1. Proclamation about Babylon, seen by Isaiah son of Amoz.

1. The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2. On a bare hill hoist a signal, shout for them, beckon them to come to the Nobles' Gate.

2. On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

3. I have issued orders to my sacred warriors, I have summoned my heroes to serve my anger, my proud champions.

3. I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.

4. The noise of a great crowd in the mountains, like an immense people, the tumultuous sound of kingdoms, of nations mustering: it is Yahweh Sabaoth marshalling the troops for battle.

4. Hark, a tumult on the mountains as of a great multitude! Hark, an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle.

5. They come from a distant country, from the far horizons, Yahweh and the instruments of his fury to lay the whole country waste.

5. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.

6. Howl! For the Day of Yahweh is near, coming like devastation from Shaddai.

6. Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

7. This is why all hands fall limp, why all the men are losing heart;

7. Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every man's heart will melt,

8. they are panic-stricken, seized with pains and convulsions; they writhe like a woman in labour, they look at one another appalled, with feverish faces.

8. and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in travail. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

9. Look, the Day of Yahweh is coming, merciless, with wrath and burning anger, to reduce the country to a desert and root out the sinners from it.

9. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

10. For in the sky the stars and Orion will shed their light no longer, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will no longer give its light.

10. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising and the moon will not shed its light.

11. I am going to punish the world for its wickedness and the wicked for their guilt, and put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humble the haughtiness of despots.

11. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless.

12. I shall make people scarcer than pure gold, human life scarcer than the gold of Ophir.

12. I will make men more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.

13. This is why I am going to shake the heavens, why the earth will reel on its foundations, under the wrath of Yahweh Sabaoth, the day when his anger ignites.

13. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

14. Then like a hunted gazelle, like sheep that nobody gathers in, everyone will head back to his people, everyone will flee to his native land.

14. And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, every man will turn to his own people, and every man will flee to his own land.

15. All those who are found will be stabbed, all those captured will fall by the sword,

15. Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.

16. their babies dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses plundered, their wives raped.

16. Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.

17. Look, against them I am stirring up the Medes who care nothing for silver, who set no value by gold.

17. Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.

18. Bows will annihilate the young men, they will have no pity for the fruit of the womb, or mercy in their eyes for children.

18. Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children.

19. And Babylon, that pearl of kingdoms, that splendid jewel of the Chaldaeans, will, like Sodom and Gomorrah, be overthrown by God.

19. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chalde'ans, will be like Sodom and Gomor'rah when God overthrew them.

20. Never again will anyone live there or reside there for all generations to come. Never again will the Arab pitch his tent there, or the shepherds bring their flocks to rest.

20. It will never be inhabited or dwelt in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.

21. But beasts of the desert will make their haunt there and owls fill their houses, there ostriches will settle their home, there goats will dance.

21. But wild beasts will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there satyrs will dance.

22. Hyenas will howl in its towers, jackals in its delightful palaces, for its doom is about to come and its days will not last long.

22. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.