“1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2 Lift
ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake
the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have
commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine
anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness. 4 The noise of a
multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous
noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts
mustereth the host of the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from
the end of heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole land.”
“6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and
every man’s heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and
sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that
travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be
as] flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath
and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the
sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be
darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to
shine. 11 And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked
for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to
cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make
a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of
Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove
out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of
his fierce anger. 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep
that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and
flee every one into his own land. 15 Every one that is found shall be
thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by
the sword. 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their
eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 17
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard
silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it. 18 [Their] bows
also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on
the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.”
“19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’
excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It
shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation
to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall
the shepherds make their fold there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert
shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures;
and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. 22 And the
wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and
dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and her time [is] near to come, and
her days shall not be prolonged.” (Isaiah 13:1-22 AV)