13 The Medes and Persians shall destroy Babylon.

The [a]burden of Babel, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

Lift up a standard upon the high mountain: lift up the voice unto them: wag the [b]hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

I have commanded them, that I have [c]sanctified: and I have called the mighty to my wrath, and them that rejoice in my [d]glory.

The noise of a multitude is in the mountains like a great people: a tumultuous voice of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts numbereth the host of the battle.

They come from a far country, from the end of the heaven: even the Lord with the [e]weapons of his wrath to destroy the whole land.

Howl [f]you, for the day of the Lord is at hand: it shall come as a destroyer from the Almighty.

Therefore shall all hands be weakened, and all men’s hearts shall melt.

And they shall be afraid: anguish and sorrow shall take them, and they shall have pain, as a woman that travaileth: everyone shall be amazed at his neighbor, and their faces shall be like [g]flames of fire.

Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it.

10 For the [h]stars of heaven and the planets thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

11 And I will visit the wickedness upon the [i]world, and their iniquity upon the wicked, and I will cause the arrogancy of the [j]proud to cease, and will cast down the pride of tyrants.

12 I will make a [k]man more precious than fine gold, even a man above the wedge of gold of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

14 And [l]it shall be as a chased Doe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up; every man shall turn to his own people, and flee each one to his own land.

15 Everyone that is found, shall be stricken through: and whosoever joineth himself, shall fall by the sword.

16 (A)Their [m]children also shall be broken in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be spoiled; and their wives ravished.

17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver, nor be desirous of gold.

18 With bows also shall they destroy the children, and shall have no compassion upon the fruit of the womb, and their eyes shall not spare the children.

19 And Babel the glory of kingdoms, the beauty and pride of the Chaldeans, shall be as the destruction of God (B)in Sodom and Gomorrah.

20 It shall not be inhabited forever, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the [n]Arabian pitch his tents there, neither shall their shepherds make their folds there.

21 But [o]Zijm shall lodge there, and their houses shall be full of Ohim: Ostriches shall dwell there, and the Satyrs shall dance there.

22 And Iim shall cry in their palaces, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and the time thereof is ready to come, and the days thereof shall not be prolonged.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 13:1 That is, the great calamity, which was prophesied to come on Babel, as a most grievous burden, which they were not able to bear. In these twelve chapters following, he speaketh of the plagues wherewith God would smite the strange nations (whom they knew) to declare that God chastised the Israelites as his children, and these others as his enemies: and also if that God spare not these that are ignorant, that they must not think strange, if he punish them which have knowledge of his Law, and keep it not.
  2. Isaiah 13:2 To wit, the Medes and Persians.
  3. Isaiah 13:3 That is, prepared and appointed to execute my judgments.
  4. Isaiah 13:3 Which willingly go about to the work whereunto I appoint them, but how the wicked do this, read Isa. 10:6.
  5. Isaiah 13:5 The army of the Medes and the Persians against Babylon.
  6. Isaiah 13:6 Ye Babylonians.
  7. Isaiah 13:8 The Babylonians’ anger and grief shall be so much, that their faces shall burn as fire.
  8. Isaiah 13:10 They that are overcome shall think that all the powers of heaven and earth are against them, Ezek. 32:7; Joel 3:15; Matt. 24:29.
  9. Isaiah 13:11 He compareth Babylon to the whole world, because they so esteemed themselves by reason of their great empire.
  10. Isaiah 13:11 He noteth the principal vice, whereunto they are most given, as are all that abound in wealth.
  11. Isaiah 13:12 He noteth the great slaughter that shall be, seeing the enemy shall neither for gold, or silver spare a man’s life, as verse 17.
  12. Isaiah 13:14 Meaning, the power of Babylon with their hired soldiers.
  13. Isaiah 13:16 This was not accomplished when Cyrus took Babylon, but after the death of Alexander the great.
  14. Isaiah 13:20 Who useth to go from country to country to find pasture for their beasts, but there shall they find none.
  15. Isaiah 13:21 Which were either wild beasts, or fowls, or wicked spirits, whereby Satan deluded man, as by the fairies, goblins, and such like fantasies.

13 מַשָּׂ֖א בָּבֶ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמֽוֹץ׃

עַ֤ל הַר־נִשְׁפֶּה֙ שְֽׂאוּ־נֵ֔ס הָרִ֥ימוּ ק֖וֹל לָהֶ֑ם הָנִ֣יפוּ יָ֔ד וְיָבֹ֖אוּ פִּתְחֵ֥י נְדִיבִֽים׃

אֲנִ֥י צִוֵּ֖יתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁ֑י גַּ֣ם קָרָ֤אתִי גִבּוֹרַי֙ לְאַפִּ֔י עַלִּיזֵ֖י גַּאֲוָתִֽי׃

ק֥וֹל הָמ֛וֹן בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים דְּמ֣וּת עַם־רָ֑ב ק֠וֹל שְׁא֞וֹן מַמְלְכ֤וֹת גּוֹיִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת מְפַקֵּ֖ד צְבָ֥א מִלְחָמָֽה׃

בָּאִ֛ים מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק מִקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יְהוָה֙ וּכְלֵ֣י זַעְמ֔וֹ לְחַבֵּ֖ל כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

הֵילִ֕ילוּ כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה כְּשֹׁ֖ד מִשַּׁדַּ֥י יָבֽוֹא׃

עַל־כֵּ֖ן כָּל־יָדַ֣יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־לְבַ֥ב אֱנ֖וֹשׁ יִמָּֽס׃

וְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ׀ צִירִ֤ים וַֽחֲבָלִים֙ יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֖ה יְחִיל֑וּן אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יִתְמָ֔הוּ פְּנֵ֥י לְהָבִ֖ים פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

הִנֵּ֤ה יוֹם־יְהוָה֙ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן אָ֑ף לָשׂ֤וּם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ יַשְׁמִ֥יד מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

10 כִּֽי־כוֹכְבֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יָהֵ֖לּוּ אוֹרָ֑ם חָשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בְּצֵאת֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖חַ לֹֽא־יַגִּ֥יהַ אוֹרֽוֹ׃

11 וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עַל־תֵּבֵל֙ רָעָ֔ה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִ֖ים עֲוֺנָ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּא֣וֹן זֵדִ֔ים וְגַאֲוַ֥ת עָרִיצִ֖ים אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃

12 אוֹקִ֥יר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִפָּ֑ז וְאָדָ֖ם מִכֶּ֥תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃

13 עַל־כֵּן֙ שָׁמַ֣יִם אַרְגִּ֔יז וְתִרְעַ֥שׁ הָאָ֖רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ בְּעֶבְרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבְי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃

14 וְהָיָה֙ כִּצְבִ֣י מֻדָּ֔ח וּכְצֹ֖אן וְאֵ֣ין מְקַבֵּ֑ץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֽוּסוּ׃

15 כָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֖א יִדָּקֵ֑ר וְכָל־הַנִּסְפֶּ֖ה יִפּ֥וֹל בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

16 וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֥ם יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם יִשַּׁ֙סּוּ֙ בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֔ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם ׳תִּשָּׁגַלְנָה׳ ״תִּשָּׁכַֽבְנָה׃״

17 הִנְנִ֛י מֵעִ֥יר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לֹ֣א יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ וְזָהָ֖ב לֹ֥א יַחְפְּצוּ־בֽוֹ׃

18 וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת נְעָרִ֣ים תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶ֙טֶן֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ עַל־בָּנִ֖ים לֹֽא־תָח֥וּס עֵינָֽם׃

19 וְהָיְתָ֤ה בָבֶל֙ צְבִ֣י מַמְלָכ֔וֹת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּא֣וֹן כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־סְדֹ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָֽה׃

20 לֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן עַד־דּ֣וֹר וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃

21 וְרָבְצוּ־שָׁ֣ם צִיִּ֔ים וּמָלְא֥וּ בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם אֹחִ֑ים וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ שָׁם֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֔ה וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָֽׁם׃

22 וְעָנָ֤ה אִיִּים֙ בְּאַלְמנוֹתָ֔יו וְתַנִּ֖ים בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי עֹ֑נֶג וְקָר֤וֹב לָבוֹא֙ עִתָּ֔הּ וְיָמֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א יִמָּשֵֽׁכוּ׃