Isaiah 13

¹ An oracle concerning Babylon; a vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz.

² Upon the bare mountains set up a signal; cry out to them, Wave for them to enter the gates of the volunteers.

³ I have commanded my dedicated soldiers, I have summoned my warriors, eager and bold to carry out my anger.

⁴ Listen! the rumble on the mountains: that of an immense throng! Listen! the noise of kingdoms, nations assembled! The LORD of hosts is mustering an army for battle.

⁵ They come from a far-off country, and from the end of the heavens, The LORD and the instruments of his wrath, to destroy all the land.

⁶ Howl, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

⁷ Therefore all hands fall helpless, the bows of the young men fall from their hands. Every man's heart melts

⁸ in terror. Pangs and sorrows take hold of them, like a woman in labor they writhe; They look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.

⁹ Lo, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and burning anger; To lay waste the land and destroy the sinners within it!

¹⁰ The stars and constellations of the heavens send forth no light; The sun is dark when it rises, and the light of the moon does not shine.

¹¹ Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their guilt. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, the insolence of tyrants I will humble.

¹² I will make mortals more rare than pure gold, men, than gold of Ophir.

¹³ For this I will make the heavens tremble and the earth shall be shaken from its place, At the wrath of the LORD of hosts on the day of his burning anger.

¹⁴ Like a hunted gazelle, or a flock that no one gathers, Every man shall turn to his kindred and flee to his own land.

¹⁵ Everyone who is caught shall be run through; to a man, they shall fall by the sword.

¹⁶ Their infants shall be dashed to pieces in their sight; their houses shall be plundered and their wives ravished.

¹⁷ I am stirring up against them the Medes, who think nothing of silver and take no delight in gold.

¹⁸ The fruit of the womb they shall not spare, nor shall they have eyes of pity for children.

¹⁹ And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory and pride of the Chaldeans, Shall be overthrown by God like Sodom and like Gomorrah.

²⁰ She shall never be inhabited, nor dwelt in, from age to age; The Arab shall not pitch his tent there, nor shepherds couch their flocks.

²¹ But wildcats shall rest there and owls shall fill the houses; There ostriches shall dwell, and satyrs shall dance.

²² Desert beasts shall howl in her castles, and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is near at hand and her days shall not be prolonged.