Isaiah 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 An oracle concerning Babylon; a vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz.	1 The burden of Babylon which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2 Upon the bare mountains set up a signal; cry out to them, Wave for them to enter the gates of the volunteers.	2 Over the foggy mountain lift up a sign! Raise the voice, lift up the hand, and let the rulers enter through the gates!
3 I have commanded my dedicated soldiers, I have summoned my warriors, eager and bold to carry out my anger.	3 In my wrath, I commanded my sanctified ones, and I called my strong ones, those who exult in my glory.
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.	4 On the mountains, there is the voice of a multitude, as if of a numerous people, a voice with the sound of kings, of nations gathered together. For the Lord of hosts has given orders to soldiers of war,
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.	5 to those who are arriving from a far off land, from the heights of the heavens. It is the Lord and the instruments of his fury, so that he may bring ruin to all the earth.
6 Howl, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it comes.	6 Wail aloud! For the day of the Lord draws near! It will arrive like a devastation from the Lord.
7 Therefore all hands fall helpless, the bows of the young men fall from their hands. Every man's heart melts	7 Because of it, every hand will fail, and every heart of man will waste away and be crushed.
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.	8 Writhing and pain will seize them. They will be in pain, like a woman in labor. Each one will appear stupefied to his neighbor. Their countenances will be like faces which have been burned up.
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!	9 Behold, the day of the Lord approaches: a cruel day, full of indignation and wrath and fury, which will place the earth in solitude and crush the sinners from 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.	10 For the stars of the heavens, in their splendor, will not display their light. The sun will be obscured at its rising, and the moon will not shine in her brightness.
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.	11 And I will act against the evils of the world, and against the impious for their iniquity. And I will cause the pride of the unfaithful to cease, and I will bring down the arrogance of the strong.
12 I will make mortals more rare than pure gold, men, than gold of Ophir.	12 A man will be more precious than gold, and mankind will become like pure refined gold.
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.	13 For this purpose, I will stir up heaven, and the earth will be moved from its place, because of the indignation of the Lord of hosts, because of the day of his furious wrath.
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.	14 And they will be like a doe fleeing away, or like sheep; and there will be no one who may gather them together. Each one will turn to his own people, and every one will flee to his own land.
15 Everyone who is caught shall be run through; to a man, they shall fall by the sword.	15 All who are found will be killed, and all who are caught unaware will fall by the sword.
16 Their infants shall be dashed to pieces in their sight; their houses shall be plundered and their wives ravished.	16 Their infants will be thrown down violently before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be violated.
17 I am stirring up against them the Medes, who think nothing of silver and take no delight in gold.	17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. They will not seek silver, nor desire gold.
18 The fruit of the womb they shall not spare, nor shall they have eyes of pity for children.	18 Instead, with their arrows, they will put the little children to death, and they will take no pity on breastfeeding women, and their eye will not spare their 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.	19 And then Babylon, the glorious one among kingdoms, that famous pride of the Chaldeans, will be destroyed, even as the Lord destroyed Sodom and 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.	20 It will not be inhabited, even unto the end, and it will not be reestablished, even from generation to generation. The Arab will not pitch his tents there, nor will the shepherds take rest there.
21 But wildcats shall rest there and owls shall fill the houses; There ostriches shall dwell, and satyrs shall dance.	21 Instead, the wild beasts will rest there, and their houses will be filled with serpents, and ostriches will live there, and the hairy ones will leap about there.
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.	22 And the tawny owls will answer one another there, in its buildings, and the Sirens in its shrines of pleasure.