Isaiah
Chapter 13
1 Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw this message about Babylon.
2 Raise a flag on the tall mountain, shout out loud to them, wave your hand, so they may enter the gates of the leaders.
3 I have ordered my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to express my wrath, those who delight in my greatness.
4 The sound of many people in the mountains, like a large crowd; the loud noise of many countries’ kingdoms joining together: God gathers the armies for war.
5 They come from a distant land, from the farthest skies, even God and his weapons of anger, to destroy the entire country.
6 Cry out, because God’s day is near; it will come like destruction from God.
7 So everyone’s hands will go weak, and each person’s heart will feel afraid.
8 They will be scared: pains and sorrows will grab them; they will hurt like a woman in childbirth: they will look at each other in shock; their faces will be like fire.
9 Look, God’s day is coming, harsh with anger and fierce rage, to make the land empty and to wipe out its sinners.
10 The stars in the sky and their patterns will not shine; the sun will be dark as it rises, and the moon will not give its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their wrongs; I will end the pride of the proud and bring down the arrogance of the ruthless.
12 I will make a person more valuable than fine gold; even more than the pure gold from Ophir.
13 So I will make the skies and the earth shake, and the earth will move from its place because of God’s anger and on the day of his strong rage.
14 It will be like a hunted deer or a sheep with no one to gather it: everyone will return to their own people and run away to their own country.
15 Everyone found will be killed with a weapon; and everyone with them will be defeated by the sword.
16 Their children will be smashed in front of them; their houses will be robbed, and their wives violated.
17 I will excite the Medes against them, who will not care for silver, nor take pleasure in gold.
18 Their bows will smash the young men; they will show no mercy to unborn babies; they will not look kindly on children.
19 Babylon, once the best of kingdoms and the pride of the Chaldeans, will be destroyed like when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It will never be lived in or have people stay there from one generation to the next. Arabians will not camp there, and shepherds will not have their sheep rest there.
21 Wild animals of the desert will rest there; their homes will be filled with sad creatures; owls will live there, and wild goats will dance there.
22 Wild animals from the islands will howl in their empty homes, and dragons will cry out in their beautiful palaces. Her time is about to come, and her days will not be extended.