Isaiah 13 ASV
Summary: Isaiah opens a series of oracles against foreign nations with a burden against Babylon, summoning a mustering army from a distant land as the LORD's instrument of wrath in a terrifying "day of the LORD" that darkens sun, moon, and stars. Nations are described trembling, hands feeble, hearts melting in pain like a woman in labor, while cruelty is unleashed on Babylon's people, including infants and houses plundered. The agents of this destruction are identified as the Medes, who have no regard for silver or gold and will show no mercy to Babylon's young. The chapter closes prophesying Babylon's total, permanent desolation, never to be inhabited again, becoming a haunt for wild creatures like Sodom and Gomorrah.
1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
2Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.
5They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
7Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt:
8and they shall be dismayed; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail: they shall look in amazement one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.
9Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to 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 its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its 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 rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.
13Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14And it shall come to pass, that as the chased roe, and as sheep that no man gathereth, they shall turn every man to his own people, and shall flee every man to his own land.
15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is taken shall fall by the sword.
16Their infants also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be rifled, and their wives ravished.
17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
18And their bows shall dash the young men in 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 Chaldeans’ pride, 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 shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.
21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.
22And wolves shall cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
Also read this chapter in: KJV, WEB, WYC, GNV, WBT, DBY, YLT