Isaiah 13-15
Complete Jewish Bible
13 This is a prophecy about Bavel, which Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz saw:
2 Hoist a banner on a high mountain,
shout to [the invaders];
beckon them to enter the Nobles’ Gate.
3 “I have ordered my holy ones,
summoned my heroes, eager and bold,
to execute my anger.”
4 Listen! A tumult on the mountains —
it sounds like a vast multitude!
Listen! The uproar of the kingdoms
of the nations gathering together!
Adonai-Tzva’ot is mustering
an army for war.
5 They come from a distant land,
from beyond the horizon.
It’s Adonai, with the weapons of his rage,
to lay waste to all the earth.
6 Howl! for the Day of Adonai is at hand,
destruction coming from Shaddai.
7 This is why every arm will hang limp
and everyone’s courage melt away.
8 They will be gripped by panic,
seized with pain and agony,
writhing like a woman in labor,
looking aghast at each other, faces aflame.
9 Here comes the Day of Adonai,
full of cruelty, rage and hot fury,
to desolate the earth
and destroy the sinners in it.
10 For the stars, the constellations in the sky,
will no longer give their light;
the sun will be dark when it rises;
and the moon will no longer shine.
11 “I will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their iniquity.
I will end the arrogance of the proud
and humble the insolence of tyrants.
12 I will make humans rarer than gold,
scarcer than Ofir’s pure gold.
13 This is why I will make the heavens tremble,
and the earth will be shaken from its place
at the wrath of Adonai-Tzva’ot
on the day of his fierce anger.
14 Then, like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep with no one to gather them,
everyone will head back to his own people;
everyone will flee to his own land.
15 Anyone found will be pierced through;
anyone caught will fall by the sword,
16 their babies dashed to pieces before their eyes,
their houses looted, their wives raped.
17 I will stir up against them the Medes,
who cannot be tempted by silver
or bought off with gold.
18 Their bows will tear young men to pieces,
they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb,
their eye will not spare children.”
19 Thus Bavel, that jewel of kingdoms,
the pride and glory of the Kasdim,
will be like S’dom and ‘Amora
when overthrown by God.
20 It will never again be inhabited,
never lived in through all generations.
Arabs will not pitch tents there
nor shepherds bring their flocks.
21 But wildcats will lie there,
their houses will be full of owls,
ostriches will live there,
and wild goats will dance there.
22 Jackals will howl in their palaces
and wild dogs in their temples of delight.
Its time is close at hand,
its days will not last long.
14 For Adonai will have compassion on Ya‘akov — he will once again choose Isra’el and resettle them in their own land, where foreigners will join them, attaching themselves to the house of Ya‘akov. 2 Peoples will take and escort them to their homeland, and the house of Isra’el will possess them in the land of Adonai as male and female slaves. They will take their captors captive and rule over their oppressors. 3 Then, when Adonai gives you rest from your suffering and trouble and from the hard service imposed on you, 4 you will take up this taunt-song against the king of Bavel:
“At last the oppressor is stilled,
his arrogance is ended!
5 Adonai has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers,
6 which furiously struck down peoples
with unceasing blows,
angrily beating down nations
with relentless persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet.
They break into song.
8 The cypresses rejoice over you,
with the cedars of the L’vanon —
‘Now that you are laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.’
9 “Sh’ol below is stirred up
to meet you when you come.
It awakens for you the ghosts of the dead
who were leaders on earth;
it makes all the kings of the nations
arise from their thrones.
10 They all greet you with these words:
‘Now you are as weak as we are,
you have become like us!
11 Your pride has been brought down to Sh’ol
with the music of your lyres,
under you a mattress of maggots,
over you a blanket of worms.’
12 “How did you come to fall from the heavens,
morning star, son of the dawn?
How did you come to be cut to the ground,
conqueror of nations?
13 You thought to yourself, ‘I will scale the heavens,
I will raise my throne above God’s stars.
I will sit on the Mount of Assembly
far away in the north.
14 I will rise past the tops of the clouds,
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 “Instead you are brought down to Sh’ol,
to the uttermost depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you,
reflecting on what has become of you:
‘Is this the man who shook the earth,
who made kingdoms tremble,
17 who made the world a desert,
who destroyed its cities,
who would not set his prisoners free?’
18 “All other kings of the nations, all of them,
lie in glory, each in his tomb.
19 But you are discarded, unburied,
like a loathed branch,
clothed like the slain who were pierced by the sword,
then fall to the stones inside a pit,
like a corpse to be trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with those kings in the grave,
because you destroyed your own land,
you have brought death to your own people.
The descendants of evildoers will be utterly forgotten.
21 Get ready to slaughter his sons
for the iniquity of their fathers;
so they won’t arise, take over the earth
and cover the world with their cities.”
22 “I will arise against them,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
“I will cut off from Bavel name and remnant,
offshoot and offspring,” says Adonai.
23 “I will make it a haunt for hedgehogs,
it will become a swampy waste,
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
24 Adonai-Tzva’ot has sworn,
“Just as I thought it, it will occur;
just as I planned it, so it will be.
25 I will break Ashur in my land,
I will trample him down on my mountains.
Then his yoke will fall off them,
his burden be removed from their shoulders.”
26 This is the program planned for all the earth,
this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.
27 Adonai-Tzva’ot has made his decision.
Who is there that can stop him?
He has stretched out his hand.
Who can turn it back?
28 In the year that King Achaz died, this prophecy came:
29 Do not rejoice, P’leshet, any of you,
that the rod which struck you is broken;
for out of the snake’s root will come a viper,
and his offspring will be a flying fiery serpent.
30 While the firstborn of the poor graze
and the needy lie down in safety,
I will kill off your root with famine
and slaughter the rest of you.
31 Howl, gate! Cry, city!
Melt away, P’leshet, all of you!
For a smoke is coming from the north,
with not a straggler in its ranks.
32 And what is one to answer
the messengers of the nation?
That Adonai founded Tziyon,
and there the poor of his people will find refuge.
15 This is a prophecy about Mo’av:
The night ‘Ar is sacked, Mo’av is ruined.
The night Kir is sacked, Mo’av is ruined.
2 He went up to the temple,
to Dibon and to the high places, to weep.
On N’vo and Meidva Mo’av is howling,
every head shaved bald, every beard cut off.
3 In the streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their squares,
everyone howls and weeps profusely.
4 Heshbon and El‘aleh cry out,
they are heard as far as Yachatz.
Mo’av’s best troops cry aloud,
as their courage faints away.
5 My heart cries out for Mo’av!
Its fugitives flee to Tzo‘ar,
a calf three years old.
They ascend the slope of Luchit,
weeping as they go;
on their way to Horonayim,
they utter heartrending cries.
6 The waters of Nimrim are desolate,
the grass is dried up, the new growth fails,
nothing green is left.
7 Therefore they carry away their wealth,
everything they have put aside,
across the Vadi of the Willows.
8 For the cry has circulated
throughout Mo’av’s territory —
its howling has reached Eglayim,
its howling has reached Be’er-Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon are full of blood,
yet I have worse in store for Dimon —
a lion for those who escape from Mo’av
and for those who remain in its land.
Yeshayah 13-15
Orthodox Jewish Bible
13 The massa (burden) of Bavel (Babylon), which Yeshayah Ben Amotz did see.
2 Lift ye up a nes upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the yad, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded My Mekuddash, I have also summoned My Gibbor for Mine anger, even them that rejoice in My highness.
4 The noise of a hamon (multitude) in the harim (mountains), like as of an Am Rav; a tumultuous noise of the mamlechot (kingdoms) of Goyim gathered together; Hashem Tzva’os mustereth the Tzava (army) of the milchamah (battle, war).
5 They come from an eretz merchak (a far country), from the end of Shomayim, Hashem, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy Kol HaAretz.
6 Wail ye; for the Yom Hashem is karov (near); it shall come like shod (sudden destruction) from Shaddai.
7 Therefore shall kol yadayim (all hands) fall weak, and kol levav enosh shall melt;
8 And they shall be afraid; pangs and chavalim (pains) shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain like a woman that travaileth in childbirth; one shall be aghast at his re’a; their faces shall be like flaming visages.
9 Hinei, the Yom Hashem cometh, cruel both with wrath and charon af (fierce anger), to lay the land desolate; and He shall destroy the chatta’im (sinners) thereof out of it.
10 For the kokhavim of Shomayim and the constellations thereof shall not give their ohr (light); the shemesh shall be darkened in its rising and the yarei’ach shall not cause its ohr to shine.
11 And I will punish the tevel (world) for ra’ah, and the resha’im for their avon (iniquity); and I will cause the ga’on (arrogance) of the proud to cease, and will lay low the ga’avah (pride) of the tyrant.
12 I will make enosh more rare than rare gold; even adam than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake Shomayim, and Ha’Aretz (the Earth) shall move out of her makom (place), in the evrat Hashem Tzva’os, and in His Yom Charon Af.
14 And it shall be like deer chased, and like tzon not gathered; each ish turning to his people, and each fleeing to his own land.
15 Every one that is found yidaker (shall be pierced through, see Zech 12:10 for this same word and Moshiach); and every one that is caught shall fall by the cherev.
16 Their olelim (infants) also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their batim (houses) shall be looted, and their nashim ravished.
17 Hineni, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard kesef; and as for zahav, they shall not delight in it.
18 Their keshatot (bows) also shall tear ne’arim (young men) to pieces; and they shall have no rachamim on the pri beten (fruit of the womb); their eyes shall not pity banim.
19 And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the tiferet ga’on Kasdim, shall be as when Elohim overthrew S’dom and Amora (Gomorrah).
20 Lo lanetzach (not ever) shall it be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in ad dor vador; neither shall the Arab pitch ohel there; neither shall the ro’im rest their flock there.
21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their batim (houses) shall be full of owls; and ostriches shall dwell there, and demons shall dance there.
22 And the wild beasts shall howl in their strongholds, and jackals in their heichalot (palaces) of oneg (delight); and her (Babylon’s) time is karov (near, at hand) to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.
14 For Hashem will have compassion on Ya’akov, and will yet choose Yisroel, and set them in their own adamah (land); and the ger (alien) shall be joined with them, and they shall unite themselves to the Bais Ya’akov.
2 And the nations shall take them, and bring them to their makom (place, home); and Bais Yisroel shall possess them as an inheritance in the Admat Hashem (Land of Hashem) for avadim and shifchot; and they shall take their captors captive; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
3 And it shall come to pass in the day that Hashem shall give thee rest from thy etzev (sorrow), and from thy rogez (turmoil), and from the avodah hakashah (hard bondage) wherein thou wast made to serve,
4 That thou shalt take up this mashal against Melech Bavel, and say, How hath the nogesh (oppressor) ceased! How hast fury ceased!
5 Hashem hath broken the matteh (rod) of the resha’im (wicked), and the shevet (sceptre) of the moshlim (rulers).
6 Which struck the peoples in wrath with makkat bilti sarah (a continual stroke), which ruled the Goyim in anger, with unrestrained aggression.
7 Kol ha’aretz is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into rinnah (joyful shouts).
8 Indeed, the cypress trees rejoice over thee, and the cedars of Levanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no hakoret ([forest] cutter) is come up against us.
9 Sheol from beneath is astir for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the refa’im for thee, even all the attudei aretz (he-goat world leaders); it hath raised up from their kise’ot (thrones) all the melachim of the Goyim.
10 Kullam (all of them) shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?
11 Thy ga’on (pomp, pride) is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy nevalim (harps); the rimmah (graveworm) is spread out under thee, and the tola’at (worm) covers thee.
12 How art thou fallen from Shomayim, O Heilel Ben Shachar (Bright One of the Dawn, Day Star, Lucifer)! How art thou cast down to the earth, thou, which hast laid low the Goyim!
13 For thou hast said in thine lev, I will ascend into Shomayim, I will exalt my kisse above the kokhavim (stars) of El (G-d); I will sit also upon the har mo’ed (mount of assembly), on yarketei Tzafon (on the heights of Tzafon);
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like Elyon (the Most High).
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the bor (pit).
16 They that see thee shall gaze at thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the ish (man) that made ha’aretz to tremble, that did shake mamlechot (kingdoms);
17 That made the tevel (world) like a midbar (desert), and overthrew the towns thereof; that would not release his prisoners to go home?
18 Kol melachim (all kings) of the Goyim, even all of them, lie in kavod, every one in his own bais (house, i.e., tomb).
19 But thou art cast out of thy kever like a rejected netzer (branch, see Mt 2:23); and your raiment is those that are slain, thrust through with a cherev, that go down to the stones of the bor (pit); as a peger (corpse) trodden under feet.
20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in kevurah (burial), because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people; the zera of ra’im (evildoers) shall never be renowned.
21 Prepare the matbe’ach (slaughterhouse) for his banim for the avon (iniquity) of their avot; that they do not rise, nor inherit eretz, nor cover the surface of the tevel (earth) with towns.
22 For I will rise up against them, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will cut off from Bavel the shem, and she’ar (remainder), and offspring, and posterity, saith Hashem.
23 I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog, and swamps of mayim; and I will sweep it with the mat’ate (broom) of shmad (destruction), saith Hashem Tzva’os.
24 Hashem Tzva’os hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have intended, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand;
25 That I will break Ashur (the Assyrian) in My land, and upon My harim (mountains) trample him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden be removed from off their shekhem (shoulder).
26 This is the etzah (plan) that is purposed upon kol ha’aretz; and this is the Yad (hand) that is stretched out over kol HaGoyim (all the nations).
27 For Hashem Tzva’os hath purposed, and who shall annul it? And His Yad is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
28 In the year of the mot HaMelech Achaz came this massa (burden, oracle);
29 Rejoice not thou, all ye of Peleshet (Philistia), because the shevet (rod) of him that struck thee is broken; for out of the shoresh nachash (snake’s root) shall spring up a viper, and its pri (fruit) shall be a fiery flying serpent.
30 And the bechorei dalim (the firstborn of the poor ones) shall eat, and the evyonim (needy ones) shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy shoresh (root) with ra’av (famine), and it shall slay thy she’erit (remnant, survivors).
31 Wail, O sha’ar (gate); howl, O ir; all ye of Peleshet, melt away; for there shall come from the tzafon (north) an ashan (smoke), and none shall be a straggler in his ranks.
32 What shall one then answer the malachim (messengers) of the nation? That Hashem hath established Tziyon, and the afflicted of His people shall take refuge in her.
15 The massa (burden) of Moav. Because in the lailah (night) Ar of Moav is destroyed, and brought to silence; because in the lailah Kir of Moav is destroyed, and brought to silence;
2 He is gone up to the [idol] temple, and to Divon, the [idolatrous] high places, to weep: Moav shall howl over Nevo, and over Medva; on all their rosh shall be shaved heads, and every zakan (beard) cut off.
3 In their chutzot (streets) they shall gird themselves with sackcloth; on their rooftops, and in their rechovot (open areas), every one shall wail, falling down with weeping.
4 And Cheshbon shall cry, and Elealeh; their voice shall be heard even unto Yachatz; therefore the loins of Moav shall shake; his nefesh shall be faint within him.
5 My lev shall cry out for Moav; his fugitives shall flee unto Tzoar, and Eglat-Shelishiyah; for by the Ascent of Luchit with bekhi (weeping) shall they go up; for on the Derech Choronayim they shall raise up a lament because of destruction.
6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be dried up; for the khatzir (grass) is withered away, the desheh (vegetation) faileth, yerek (green) there is none,
7 Therefore the possessions they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the Nakhal HaAravim (Ravine of Willows).
8 For the cry is gone all around the borders of Moav; the outcry thereof unto Eglayim, and the wailing thereof unto Be’er Elim.
9 For the waters of Dimon shall be full of dahm; for I will bring more upon Dimon, aryeh (lion) upon him that escapeth of Moav, and upon she’erit adamah (the remnant of the land).
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International