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Isaiah 13

King James Version

1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2 Lift 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. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4 The 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. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man' heart shall melt: 8 And 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. 9 Behold, 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. 10 For 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. 11 And 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. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore 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. 14 And 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. 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. 18 Their 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. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees'excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It 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. 21 But 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. 22 And 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. 

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain.
Please note the following exceptions for use and publication in the United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

Isaiah 13

English Standard Version



1 The 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) 2 On 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) 3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.[1] 4 The 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) 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 land.[2] (Isa 46:11) 6 Wail, 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) 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. (Jos 2:11) 8 They 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) 9 Behold, 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) 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. (Isa 34:4; Eze 32:7; Joe 2:31; Joe 3:15; Mt 24:29; Mr 13:24; Lu 21:25) 11 I 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) 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. (1Ki 10:11; Job 28:16; Isa 24:6) 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. (Hag 2:6) 14 And 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) 15 Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. (Ps 137:9; Na 3:10) 17 Behold, 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) 18 Their 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) 19 And 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) 20 It 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) 21 But 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) 22 Hyenas[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) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.