Isaiah Chapter 13

Isaiah 13 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1The “Babylon” Pronouncement, a prophecy of Isaiah son of Amoz.
2. 2“Raise a standard upon a bare hill, Cry aloud to them; Wave a hand, and let them enter The gates of the nobles!
3. 3I have summoned My purified guests To execute My wrath; Behold, I have called My stalwarts, My proudly exultant ones.”
4. 4Hark! a tumult on the mountains— As of a mighty force; Hark! an uproar of kingdoms, Nations assembling! G OD of Hosts is mustering A host for war.
5. 5They come from a distant land, From the end of the sky— G OD with the weapons of divine wrath— To ravage all the earth!
6. 6Howl! For the day of G OD is near; It shall come like havoc from Shaddai.
7. 7Therefore all hands shall grow limp, And every human heart shall sink;
8. 8And, overcome by terror, They shall be seized by pangs and throes, Writhe like a woman in travail. They shall gaze at each other in horror, Their faces livid with fright. as a variant of bhl ; in contrast to others “shall be faces of flame.”
9. 9Lo! The day of G OD is coming With pitiless fury and wrath, To make the earth a desolation, To wipe out the sinners upon it.
10. 10The stars and constellations of heaven Shall not give off their light; The sun shall be dark when it rises, And the moon shall diffuse no glow.
11. 11“And I will requite to the world its evil, And to the wicked their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant And humble the haughtiness of tyrants.
12. 12I will make people scarcer than fine gold, And mortals [more scarce] than gold of Ophir.”
13. 13Therefore shall heaven be shaken, And earth leap out of its place, At the fury of G OD of Hosts On the day of God’s burning wrath.
14. 14Then like gazelles that are chased, And like sheep that no one gathers, Each man shall turn back to his people, They shall flee every one to his land.
15. 15All who remain shall be pierced through, All who are caught Shall fall by the sword.
16. 16And their babes shall be dashed to pieces in their sight, Their homes shall be plundered, And their wives shall be raped.
17. 17“Behold, I stir up the Medes against them, Who do not value silver Or delight in gold.
18. 18Their bows shall shatter the young; They shall show no pity to infants, They shall not spare the children.”
19. 19And Babylon, glory of kingdoms, Proud splendor of the Chaldeans, Shall become like Sodom and Gomorrah Overturned by God.
20. 20Nevermore shall it be settled Nor dwelt in through all the ages. No Arab shall pitch his tent there, No shepherds make flocks lie down there.
21. 21But beasts shall lie down there, And the houses be filled with owls; There shall ostriches make their home, And there shall satyrs dance.
22. 22And jackals shall abide in its castles And dragons in the palaces of pleasure. Her hour is close at hand; Her days will not be long.

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