1The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. (Isa 1:1; Isa 13:19; Isa 14:4; Isa 21:9; Isa 47:1)2On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. (Isa 5:26; Isa 41:25)3I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.[1]4The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle. (Jos 5:13; Isa 22:5)5They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.[2] (Isa 46:11)6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty[3] it will come! (Isa 2:12; Isa 14:31; Isa 15:2; Isa 15:8; Isa 16:7; Jer 51:8; Eze 30:2; Joe 1:15; Zep 1:7)7Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. (Jos 2:11)8They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. (Isa 26:17; Jer 4:31; Jer 6:24; Mic 4:9; Na 2:10; Joh 16:21)9Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. (Ps 104:35; Isa 13:6)10For 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. (Isa 34:4; Eze 32:7; Joe 2:31; Joe 3:15; Mt 24:29; Mr 13:24; Lu 21:25)11I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. (Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17; Isa 24:4; Isa 24:21)12I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. (1Ki 10:11; Job 28:16; Isa 24:6)13Therefore 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. (Hag 2:6)14And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. (1Ki 22:36; Jer 50:16; Jer 51:9)15Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.16Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. (Ps 137:9; Na 3:10)17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. (Isa 21:2; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:28; Da 5:28; Da 5:31)18Their bows will slaughter[4] the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. (Jer 50:14; Jer 50:29; Jer 51:3)19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. (Ge 19:24; Isa 1:9; Isa 47:5; Jer 50:40; Am 4:11)20It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. (Jer 3:2; Jer 33:12; Jer 51:37; Jer 51:43)21But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches[5] will dwell, and there wild goats will dance. (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39)22Hyenas[6] will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged. (Isa 25:2; Isa 35:7; Jer 51:37; Am 3:15)
Isaiah 13
New International Version
A prophecy against Babylon
1A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:2Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.3I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath – those who rejoice in my triumph.4Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war.5They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens – the Lord and the weapons of his wrath – to destroy the whole country.6Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[1]7Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear.8Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labour. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.9See, the day of the Lord is coming – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger – to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.12I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.14Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.15Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword.16Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.17See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.18Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children.19Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians,[2] will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.20She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.21But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.22Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.
Isaiah 13
King James Version
1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.2Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.3I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.5They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.6Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.7Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man' heart shall melt:8And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.9Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.12I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.13Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.14And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.16Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.18Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees'excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.20It shall never 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.21But 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.22And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
Isaiah 13
New International Reader’s Version
A prophecy against Babylon
1Here is the prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.2Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill. Shout to the enemy soldiers. Wave for them to enter the gates that are used by the nobles of Babylon.3The LORD has commanded the soldiers he prepared for battle. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.4Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains. It sounds like a huge crowd. Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms. It sounds like nations gathering together. The LORD who rules over all is bringing an army together for war.5They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The LORD and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylon.6Cry out! The day of the LORD is near. The Mighty One is coming to destroy the Babylonians.7Their hands won’t be able to help them. Everyone’s heart will melt away in fear.8The people will be filled with terror. Pain and suffering will grab hold of them. They will groan with pain like a woman having a baby. They’ll look at one another in terror. Their faces will burn with shame.9The day of the LORD is coming. It will be a terrible day. The LORD’s burning anger will blaze out. He will make the land dry and empty. He’ll destroy the sinners in it.10All the stars in the sky will stop giving their light. The sun will be darkened as soon as it rises. The moon will not shine.11The LORD will punish the world because it is so evil. He will punish evil people for their sins. He’ll put an end to the boasting of those who are proud. He’ll bring down the pride of those who don’t show any pity.12He’ll make people harder to find than pure gold. They will be harder to find than gold from Ophir.13He will make the heavens tremble. He’ll shake the earth out of its place. The LORD who rules over all will show how angry he is. At that time his burning anger will blaze out.14Outsiders who live in Babylon will scatter like antelope that are chased by a hunter. They are like sheep that don’t have a shepherd. All of them will return to their own people. They will run back to their own countries.15Those who are captured will have spears stuck through them. Those who are caught will be killed by swords.16Their babies will be smashed to pieces right in front of their eyes. Their houses will be robbed. Their wives will be raped.17The LORD will stir up the Medes to attack the Babylonians. They aren’t interested in getting silver. They don’t want gold.18Instead, they will use their bows and arrows to strike down the young men. They won’t even show any mercy to babies. They won’t take pity on children.19The city of Babylon is the jewel of kingdoms. It is the pride and glory of the Babylonians. But God will destroy it just as he did Sodom and Gomorrah.20No one will ever live in Babylon again. No one will live there for all time to come. Those who wander in the desert will never set up their tents there. Shepherds will never rest their flocks there.21But desert creatures will lie down there. Wild dogs will fill its houses. Owls will live there. Wild goats will jump around in it.22Hyenas will live in its forts. Wild dogs will live in its beautiful palaces. The time for Babylon to be punished is near. Its days are numbered.