18 All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.(A)
19 But you are cast out(B) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,(C)
    with those pierced by the sword,(D)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.(E)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20     you will not join them in burial,(F)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring(G) of the wicked(H)
    never be mentioned(I) again.

Read full chapter

18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Read full chapter

A dire(A) vision has been shown to me:
    The traitor betrays,(B) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(C) attack! Media,(D) lay siege!
    I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

At this my body is racked with pain,(E)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(F)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered(G) by what I see.
My heart(H) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;(I)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror(J) to me.

They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!(K)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!(L)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout(M)
    and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots(N)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,(O)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

And the lookout[a](P) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
Look, here comes a man in a chariot(Q)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon(R) has fallen,(S) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(T)
    lie shattered(U) on the ground!’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion

A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.

And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:

And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

Read full chapter

29 “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.(A)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.(B)
Repay(C) her for her deeds;(D)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied(E) the Lord,
    the Holy One(F) of Israel.
30 Therefore, her young men(G) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
31 “See, I am against(H) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day(I) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
32 The arrogant(J) one will stumble and fall(K)
    and no one will help her up;(L)
I will kindle a fire(M) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,(N)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.(O)
34 Yet their Redeemer(P) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty(Q) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause(R)
    so that he may bring rest(S) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

35 “A sword(T) against the Babylonians!”(U)
    declares the Lord
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise(V) men!

Read full chapter

29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

30 Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord.

31 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

33 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

34 Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

35 A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the Lord, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

Read full chapter

57 I will make her officials(A) and wise(B) men drunk,(C)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep(D) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,(E) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

Read full chapter

57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

Read full chapter