Isaiah 13
13
God’s Message to Babylon
1God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this message#13:1 message Or “burden.” about Babylon:
2“Raise a flag on that mountain#13:2 mountain This probably means Babylon. 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.
5They 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.”
6The 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.#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.” 7People will lose their courage. Fear will make them weak. 8Everyone 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
9Look, 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. 10The skies will be dark. The sun, the moon, and the stars will not shine.
11The 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. 12There will be only a few people left. They will be as rare as pure gold. 13In 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. 14Then 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. 15Anyone caught by the enemy will be killed with a sword. 16Everything in their houses will be stolen. Their wives will be raped, and their little children will be beaten to death while they watch.
17The 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. 18They 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. 19Babylon will be destroyed like the time God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
“Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms. The Babylonians#13:19 Babylonians Literally, “Chaldeans.” are very proud of their city. 20But 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. 21The 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#13:21 Wild goats The Hebrew word means “hairy,” “goat,” or “goat-demon.” will play in the houses. 22Wild 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.”
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Isaiah 13: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Isaiah 13
13
Babylon Will Be Punished
1 #
Is 47.1-15; Jr 50.1—51.64. This is the message#13.1 message: See the note at 1.1. that I was given about Babylon:
2From high on a barren hill
give a signal, shout the orders,
and point the way
to enter the gates
of Babylon's proud rulers.
3The Lord has commanded
his very best warriors
and his proud heroes
to show how angry he is.
4Listen to the noisy crowds
on the mountains!
Kingdoms and nations
are joining forces.
The Lord All-Powerful
is bringing together
an army for battle.
5From a distant land
the Lord is coming
fierce and furious—
he brings his weapons
to destroy the whole earth.
6 #
Jl 1.15. Cry and weep!
The day is coming
when the mighty Lord
will bring destruction.
* 7All people will be terrified.
Hands will grow limp;
courage will melt away.
8Everyone 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
9I, 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 #
Ez 32.7; Mt 24.29; Mk 13.24,25; Lk 21.25; Rev 6.12,13; 8.12. Light will disappear
from the stars in the sky;
the dawning sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will lose its brightness.
11I will punish this evil world
and its people
because of their sins.
I will crush the horrible pride
of those who are cruel.
12Survivors will be harder to find
than the purest gold.
13I, the Lord All-Powerful,
am terribly angry—
I will make the sky tremble
and the earth shake loose.
14Everyone will run
to their homelands,
just as hunted deer run,
and sheep scatter
when they have no shepherd.
15Those men who are captured
will be killed by a sword.
16They will see their children
beaten against rocks,
their homes robbed,
and their wives abused.
17The Medes#13.17 Medes: People of a nation northeast of Babylonia, which became part of the Persian Empire. can't be bought off
with silver or gold,
and I'm sending them
to attack Babylonia.
18Their arrows will slaughter
the young men;
no pity will be shown
to babies and children.
The Lord Will Destroy Babylon
19 #
Gn 19.24. 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.
20No one will live in Babylon.
Even nomads won't camp nearby,
and shepherds won't let
their sheep rest there.
21 #
Is 34.14; Zep 2.14; Rev 18.2. Only desert creatures,
hoot owls, and ostriches
will live in its ruins,
and goats#13.21 goats: Or “demons.” will leap about.
22Hyenas and wolves will howl
from Babylon's fortresses
and beautiful palaces.
Its time is almost up!
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.