1 The burden of Babel, which Isaiah the sonne of Amoz did see. 2 Lift vp a standard vpon the hie mountaine: lift vp the voyce vnto them: wagge the hand, that they may goe into the gates of the nobles. 3 I haue commanded them, that I haue sanctified: and I haue called ye mightie to my wrath, and them that reioyce in my glorie. 4 The noyse of a multitude is in the mountaines, like a great people: a tumultuous voyce of the kingdomes of the nations gathered together: the Lord of hostes nombreth the hoste of the battell. 5 They come from a farre countrey, from the end of the heauen: euen the Lord with the weapons of his wrath to destroy the whole land. 6 Howle you, for the day of the Lord is at hande: it shall come as a destroier from the Almightie. 7 Therefore shall all hands be weakened, and all mens hearts shall melt, 8 And they shalbe afraid: anguish and sorowe shall take them, and they shall haue paine, as a woman that trauaileth: euery one shall be amased at his neighbour, and their faces shalbe like flames of fire. 9 Beholde, the day of the Lord commeth, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land wast: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. 10 For the starres of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light: the sunne shalbe darkened in his going foorth, and the moone shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will visite the wickednes vpon the worlde, and their iniquitie vpon the wicked, and I wil cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease, and will cast downe the pride of tyrants. 12 I will make a man more precious then fine golde, euen a man aboue the wedge of golde of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heauen, and the earth shall remooue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hostes, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And it shall be as a chased doe, and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp. euery man shall turne to his owne people, and flee eche one to his owne lande. 15 Euery one that is founde, shall be striken through: and whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe, shall fal by the sworde. 16 Their children also shall be broken in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be spoiled, and their wiues rauished. 17 Beholde, I will stirre vp the Medes against them, which shall not regarde siluer, nor be desirous of golde. 18 With bowes also shall they destroy ye children, and shall haue no compassion vpon the fruit of the wombe, and their eies shall not spare the children. 19 And Babel the glorie of kingdomes, the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans, shall be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomorah. 20 It shall not bee inhabited for euer, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, neither shall the shepheardes make their foldes there. 21 But Ziim shall lodge there, and their houses shall be ful of Ohim: Ostriches shall dwel there, and the Satyrs shall dance there. 22 And Iim shall crie in their palaces, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and the time thereof is readie to come, and the daies thereof shall not be prolonged.
God Will Punish Babylon
1 This is a message about Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz received from God.
2 On the top of a barren hill raise the battle flag! Shout to the soldiers and raise your arm as the signal for them to attack the gates of the proud city. 3 The Lord has called out his proud and confident soldiers to fight a holy war and punish those he is angry with.
4 Listen to the noise on the mountains—the sound of a great crowd of people, the sound of nations and kingdoms gathering. The Lord of Armies is preparing his troops for battle. 5 They are coming from far-off countries at the ends of the earth. In his anger the Lord is coming to devastate the whole country.
6 Howl in pain! The day of the Lord is near, the day when the Almighty brings destruction. 7 Everyone's hands will hang limp, and everyone's courage will fail. 8 They will all be terrified and overcome with pain, like the pain of a woman in labor. They will look at each other in fear, and their faces will burn with shame. 9 The day of the Lord is coming—that cruel day of his fierce anger and fury. The earth will be made a wilderness, and every sinner will be destroyed. 10 Every star and every constellation will stop shining, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will give no light.
11 The Lord says, “I will bring disaster on the earth and punish all wicked people for their sins. I will humble everyone who is proud and punish everyone who is arrogant and cruel. 12 Those who survive will be scarcer than gold. 13 I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place on that day when I, the Lord Almighty, show my anger.
14 “The foreigners living in Babylon will run away to their homelands, scattering like deer escaping from hunters, like sheep without a shepherd. 15 Anyone who is caught will be stabbed to death. 16 While they look on helplessly, their babies will be battered to death, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be raped.”
17 The Lord says, “I am stirring up the Medes to attack Babylon. They care nothing for silver and are not tempted by gold. 18 With their bows and arrows they will kill the young men. They will show no mercy to babies and take no pity on children. 19 Babylonia is the most beautiful kingdom of all; it is the pride of its people. But I, the Lord, will overthrow Babylon as I did Sodom and Gomorrah! 20 No one will ever live there again. No wandering Arab will ever pitch a tent there, and no shepherd will ever pasture a flock there. 21 It will be a place where desert animals live and where owls build their nests. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will prance through the ruins. 22 The towers and palaces will echo with the cries of hyenas and jackals. Babylon's time has come! Her days are almost over.”