Isaiah 13
New King James Version
Proclamation Against Babylon
13 The (A)burden[a] against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2 “Lift(B) up a banner (C)on the high mountain,
Raise your voice to them;
(D)Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded My [b]sanctified ones;
I have also called (E)My mighty ones for My anger—
Those who (F)rejoice in My exaltation.”
4 The (G)noise of a multitude in the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together!
The Lord of hosts musters
The army for battle.
5 They come from a far country,
From the end of heaven—
The (H)Lord and His [c]weapons of indignation,
To destroy the whole (I)land.
6 Wail, (J)for the day of the Lord is at hand!
(K)It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore all hands will be limp,
Every man’s heart will melt,
8 And they will be afraid.
(L)Pangs[d] and sorrows will take hold of them;
They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;
They will be amazed at one another;
Their faces will be like flames.
9 Behold, (M)the day of the Lord comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy (N)its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be (O)darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11 “I will (P)punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
(Q)I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the [e]terrible.
12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,
A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 (R)Therefore I will shake the heavens,
And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the Lord of hosts
And in (S)the day of His fierce anger.
14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle,
And as a sheep that no man [f]takes up;
(T)Every man will turn to his own people,
And everyone will flee to his own land.
15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through,
And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Their children also will be (U)dashed to pieces before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives (V)ravished.
17 “Behold,(W) I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not [g]regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 (X)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew (Y)Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 (Z)It will never be inhabited,
Nor will it be settled from generation to generation;
Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there,
Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
21 (AA)But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,
And their houses will be full of [h]owls;
Ostriches will dwell there,
And wild goats will caper there.
22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels,
And jackals in their pleasant palaces.
(AB)Her time is near to come,
And her days will not be prolonged.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 13:1 oracle, prophecy
- Isaiah 13:3 consecrated or set apart
- Isaiah 13:5 Or instruments
- Isaiah 13:8 Sharp pains
- Isaiah 13:11 Or tyrants
- Isaiah 13:14 gathers
- Isaiah 13:17 esteem
- Isaiah 13:21 Or howling creatures
Isaiah 13
Easy-to-Read Version
God’s Message to Babylon
13 God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this message[a] about Babylon:
2 “Raise a flag on that mountain[b] where nothing grows.
Call out to the men.
Wave your arms to let them know
they should enter through the gates for important leaders.
3 “I have separated these men from the people,
and I myself will command them.
I have gathered these proud, happy soldiers of mine
to show how angry I am.
4 “Listen to that loud noise in the mountains.
It sounds like crowds of people.
People from many kingdoms are gathering together.
The Lord All-Powerful is calling his army together.
5 They are coming from a faraway land.
They are coming from beyond the horizon.
The Lord will use this army as a weapon to show his anger.
They will destroy the whole country.”
6 The Lord’s special day is near. So cry and be sad for yourselves. A time is coming when the enemy will steal your wealth. God All-Powerful will make that happen.[c] 7 People will lose their courage. Fear will make them weak. 8 Everyone will be afraid. They will stare at each other with shock on their faces. Fear will grip them like the pains of a woman in childbirth.
God’s Judgment Against Babylon
9 Look, the Lord’s special day is coming! It will be a terrible day. God will be very angry. He will destroy the country and wipe out the sinful people who live there. 10 The skies will be dark. The sun, the moon, and the stars will not shine.
11 The Lord says, “I will cause bad things to happen to the world. I will punish the evil people for their sin. I will make proud people lose their pride. I will stop the bragging of cruel people. 12 There will be only a few people left. They will be as rare as pure gold. 13 In my anger I will shake the sky, and the earth will be moved from its place.”
That will happen on the day the Lord All-Powerful shows his anger. 14 Then the people from Babylon will run away like wounded deer or sheep that have no shepherd. Everyone will turn and run back to their own country and people. 15 Anyone caught by the enemy will be killed with a sword. 16 Everything in their houses will be stolen. Their wives will be raped, and their little children will be beaten to death while they watch.
17 The Lord says, “Look, I will cause the armies of Media to attack Babylon. Nothing will stop them, even if someone offers them gold and silver. 18 They will walk on the bows of the young soldiers of Babylon. The enemy soldiers will not show any kindness or mercy even to the babies and young children. 19 Babylon will be destroyed like the time God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
“Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms. The Babylonians[d] are very proud of their city. 20 But Babylon will not continue to be beautiful. People will not continue to live there in the future. Arabs will not put their tents there. Shepherds will not bring their sheep to let them eat there. 21 The only animals living there will be wild animals from the desert. People will not be living in their houses in Babylon. The houses will be full of owls and large birds. Wild goats[e] will play in the houses. 22 Wild dogs and wolves will howl in the great and beautiful buildings. Babylon will be finished. The end is near, and it will not be delayed.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 13:1 message Or “burden.”
- Isaiah 13:2 mountain This probably means Babylon.
- Isaiah 13:6 A time … happen This is a wordplay in Hebrew. The word meaning “stealing things in war” sounds like the word meaning “God All-Powerful.”
- Isaiah 13:19 Babylonians Literally, “Chaldeans.”
- Isaiah 13:21 Wild goats The Hebrew word means “hairy,” “goat,” or “goat-demon.”
Isaiah 13
Contemporary English Version
Babylon Will Be Punished
13 (A) This is the message[a] that I was given about Babylon:
2 From high on a barren hill
give a signal, shout the orders,
and point the way
to enter the gates
of Babylon's proud rulers.
3 The Lord has commanded
his very best warriors
and his proud heroes
to show how angry he is.
4 Listen to the noisy crowds
on the mountains!
Kingdoms and nations
are joining forces.
The Lord All-Powerful
is bringing together
an army for battle.
5 From a distant land
the Lord is coming
fierce and furious—
he brings his weapons
to destroy the whole earth.
6 (B) Cry and weep!
The day is coming
when the mighty Lord
will bring destruction.
* 7 All people will be terrified.
Hands will grow limp;
courage will melt away.
8 Everyone will tremble with pain
like a woman giving birth;
they will stare at each other
with horror on their faces.
There Will Be No Mercy
9 I, the Lord,
will show no mercy or pity
when that time comes.
In my anger I will destroy
the earth and every sinner
who lives on it.
10 (C) Light will disappear
from the stars in the sky;
the dawning sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will lose its brightness.
11 I will punish this evil world
and its people
because of their sins.
I will crush the horrible pride
of those who are cruel.
12 Survivors will be harder to find
than the purest gold.
13 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
am terribly angry—
I will make the sky tremble
and the earth shake loose.
14 Everyone will run
to their homelands,
just as hunted deer run,
and sheep scatter
when they have no shepherd.
15 Those men who are captured
will be killed by a sword.
16 They will see their children
beaten against rocks,
their homes robbed,
and their wives abused.
17 The Medes[b] can't be bought off
with silver or gold,
and I'm sending them
to attack Babylonia.
18 Their arrows will slaughter
the young men;
no pity will be shown
to babies and children.
The Lord Will Destroy Babylon
19 (D) The city of Babylon
is glorious and powerful,
the pride of the nation.
But it will be like the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah
after I, the Lord,
destroyed them.
20 No one will live in Babylon.
Even nomads won't camp nearby,
and shepherds won't let
their sheep rest there.
21 (E) Only desert creatures,
hoot owls, and ostriches
will live in its ruins,
and goats[c] will leap about.
22 Hyenas and wolves will howl
from Babylon's fortresses
and beautiful palaces.
Its time is almost up!
Isaiah 13
New Living Translation
A Message about Babylon
13 Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:
2 “Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop.
Call up an army against Babylon.
Wave your hand to encourage them
as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
3 I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task.
Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger,
and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”
4 Hear the noise on the mountains!
Listen, as the vast armies march!
It is the noise and shouting of many nations.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.
5 They come from distant countries,
from beyond the farthest horizons.
They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger.
With them he will destroy the whole land.
6 Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
7 Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
8 and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear.
9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
and all the sinners destroyed with it.
10 The heavens will be black above them;
the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
and the moon will provide no light.
11 “I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
and humble the pride of the mighty.
12 I will make people scarcer than gold—
more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
13 For I will shake the heavens.
The earth will move from its place
when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath
in the day of his fierce anger.”
14 Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people
and flee to their own land.
15 Anyone who is captured will be cut down—
run through with a sword.
16 Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped.
17 “Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon.
They cannot be tempted by silver
or bribed with gold.
18 The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows.
They will have no mercy on helpless babies
and will show no compassion for children.”
19 Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms,
the flower of Chaldean pride,
will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah
when God destroyed them.
20 Babylon will never be inhabited again.
It will remain empty for generation after generation.
Nomads will refuse to camp there,
and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.
21 Desert animals will move into the ruined city,
and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.
Owls will live among the ruins,
and wild goats will go there to dance.
22 Hyenas will howl in its fortresses,
and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon’s days are numbered;
its time of destruction will soon arrive.
Isaiah 13
Living Bible
13 This is the vision God showed Isaiah (son of Amoz) concerning Babylon’s doom.
2 See the flags waving as their enemy attacks. Shout to them, O Israel, and wave them on as they march against Babylon to destroy the palaces of the rich and mighty. 3 I, the Lord, have set apart these armies for this task; I have called those rejoicing in their strength to do this work, to satisfy my anger. 4 Hear the tumult on the mountains! Listen as the armies march! It is the tumult and the shout of many nations. The Lord Almighty has brought them here, 5 from countries far away. They are his weapons against you, O Babylon. They carry his anger with them and will destroy your whole land.
6 Scream in terror, for the Lord’s time has come, the time for the Almighty to crush you. 7 Your arms lie paralyzed with fear; the strongest hearts melt 8 and are afraid. Fear grips you with terrible pangs, like those of a woman in labor. You look at one another, helpless, as the flames of the burning city reflect upon your pallid faces. 9 For see, the day of the Lord is coming, the terrible day of his wrath and fierce anger. The land shall be destroyed and all the sinners with it. 10 The heavens will be black above them. No light will shine from stars or sun or moon.
11 And I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sin; I will crush the arrogance of the proud man and the haughtiness of the rich. 12 Few will live when I have finished up my work.
Men will be as scarce as gold—of greater value than the gold of Ophir. 13 For I will shake the heavens in my wrath and fierce anger, and the earth will move from its place in the skies.
14 The armies of Babylon will run until exhausted, fleeing back to their own land like deer chased by dogs, wandering like sheep deserted by their shepherd. 15 Those who don’t run will be butchered. 16 Their little children will be dashed to death against the pavement right before their eyes; their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. 17 For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. 18 The attacking armies will have no mercy on the young people of Babylon or the babies or the children.
19 And so Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean culture, will be as utterly destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were when God sent fire from heaven; 20 Babylon will never rise again. Generation after generation will come and go, but the land will never again be lived in.[a] The nomads will not even camp there. The shepherds won’t let their sheep stay overnight. 21 The wild animals of the desert will make it their home. The houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Ostriches will live there, and the demons will come there to dance. 22 Hyenas and jackals will den within the palaces. Babylon’s days are numbered; her time of doom will soon be here.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 13:20 the land will never again be lived in. Babylon, in Iraq, still lies in utter ruin today.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.