1The oracleconcerning BabylonwhichIsaiahthe sonof Amozsaw.
2Liftup a standardon the barehill,Raiseyour voiceto them, Wavethe handthat they may enterthe doorsof the nobles.
3I have commandedMy consecratedones, I have evencalledMy mightywarriors,My proudlyexultingones,To [execute] My anger.
4A soundof tumulton the mountains,Likethat of manypeople!A soundof the uproarof kingdoms,Of nationsgatheredtogether! The LORDof hostsis musteringthe armyfor battle.
5They are comingfrom a farcountry,From the farthesthorizons,The LORDand His instrumentsof indignation,To destroythe wholeland.
6Wail,for the dayof the LORDis near!It will comeas destructionfrom the Almighty.
7Thereforeallhandswill falllimp,And everyman'sheartwill melt.
8They will be terrified,Painsand anguishwill takeholdof [them]; They will writhelike a woman in labor,They will lookat oneanotherin astonishment,Their facesaflame.
9Behold,the dayof the LORDis coming,Cruel,with furyand burninganger,To makethe landa desolation;And He will exterminateits sinnersfrom it.
10For the starsof heavenand their constellationsWill not flashforththeir light;The sunwill be darkwhen it risesAnd the moonwill not shedits light.
11Thus I will punishthe worldfor its evilAnd the wickedfor their iniquity;I will also putan endto the arroganceof the proudAnd abasethe haughtinessof the ruthless.
12I will makemortalmanscarcerthanpuregoldAnd mankindthanthe goldof Ophir.
13ThereforeI will make the heavenstremble,And the earthwill be shakenfrom its placeAt the furyof the LORDof hostsIn the dayof His burninganger.
14And it will be that like a huntedgazelle,Or like sheepwith noneto gather[them], They will eachturnto his own people,And eachonefleeto his own land.
15Anyonewho is foundwill be thrustthrough,And anyonewho is capturedwill fallby the sword.
16Their littleonesalso will be dashedto piecesBefore their eyes;Their houseswill be plunderedAnd their wivesravished.
17Behold,I am going to stirup the Medesagainstthem, Whowill not valuesilveror takepleasurein gold.
18And [their] bowswill mowdownthe youngmen,They will not even havecompassionon the fruitof the womb,[Nor] will their eyepitychildren.
19And Babylon,the beautyof kingdoms,the gloryof the Chaldeans'pride,Will be as when GodoverthrewSodomand Gomorrah.
20It will neverbe inhabitedor livedin from generationto generation;Norwill the Arabpitch[his] tentthere,Norwill shepherdsmake [their flocks] liedownthere.
21But desertcreatureswill liedownthere,And their houseswill be fullof owls;Ostrichesalso will livethere,and shaggygoatswill frolicthere.
22Hyenaswill howlin their fortifiedtowers And jackalsin their luxuriouspalaces.Her [fateful] timealso will sooncomeAnd her dayswill not be prolonged.
