YouVersion Logo
Search Icon

Isaiah 13

13
An Oracle against Babylon
1The oracle of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
2Raise a signal on a bare hill,
lift up your voice to them;
wave the hand and may they enter the gateways of the noblemen.
3I myself I have commanded my consecrated ones,
I have also summoned my mighty warriors concerning my anger,
the ones who exalt over#Literally “exultant of” my majesty.
4A sound, a noise is on the mountains,
the likeness of many people!
A sound of the roar of the kingdoms,
of nations gathering!
Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle.
5They are coming from a distant land,
from the end of the heavens,
Yahweh and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole earth.#Literally “all of the land/earth”
6Wail, for the day of Yahweh is near;
it will come like destruction from Shaddai!#Often translated “the Almighty”
7Therefore all hands will grow slack,
and every human heart will melt,
8and they will be dismayed.
Pangs and labor pains will seize them;
they will tremble like a woman giving birth.
They will stare at one another,#Literally “A man will stare at his neighbor”
their faces flushing.#Literally “faces of flames”
9Look! The day of Yahweh is coming,
cruel and wrath and the burning of anger,
to make the earth a desolation,
and he will destroy its sinners from it.
10For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not flash forth their light;
the sun will keep back when it comes out,
and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11And I will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their iniquity.
And I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,
and I will bring the haughtiness of tyrants low.
12I will make humanity more rare than gold
and humankind more than the gold of Ophir.
13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
and the earth will quake from its place
because of the wrath of Yahweh of hosts,
and in the day his anger burns.
14And this shall happen:
like a hunted gazelle or sheep with none to gather them,#Literally “and without one who gathers”
they will each turn to his own people,
and they will each flee to his own land.
15Everyone who is found will be pierced through,
and everyone who is carried away will fall by the sword.
16And their children will be dashed into pieces before their eyes;
their houses will be plundered, and their wives will be raped.#The reading tradition (Qere) softens this to “slept with”
17Look! I am stirring the Medes up against them,
who do not value silver
and do not delight in gold.
18And their bows will shatter young men.
And they will not show mercy on the fruit of the womb;
their eyes will not look compassionately on children.
19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew#Literally “the overthrow by God of” Sodom and Gomorrah.
20It will not be inhabited forever,
and it will not be dwelled in forever;#Literally “until generation and generation”
and no Arab will pitch a tent there,
and shepherds will not allow their flocks to lie down there.
21But wild animals will lie down there,
and their houses will be full of howling creatures,
and the daughters of ostriches#Hebrew “ostrich” will live there,
and goats will dance there.
22And hyenas will answer in its palaces,
and jackals in the pleasure palaces;
and its time is coming soon,#Literally “close to come”
and its days will not be prolonged.

Currently Selected:

Isaiah 13: LEB

Highlight

Share

Copy

None

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy