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Isaiah's Vision of the Destruction of Babylon, Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Isaiahchapter 13

22 verses · Isaiah · 8th century BC · The Prophets

Isaiah's Vision of the Destruction of Babylon, Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

The line breaks below follow the poem's own punctuation. The section titles are this site's own.

A.Mustering an Army for the Day of the LORDvv. 1-8

This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them.Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

I have commanded My sanctified ones;I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.

Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude!Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together!The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war.

They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of His wrath—to destroy the whole country.

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.

Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor.They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear.

B.Sun, Moon, and Stars Withhold Their Lightvv. 9-16

Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming—cruel, with fury and burning anger—to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it.

For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light.The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.

I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity.I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.

Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword.

Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

C.Babylon Overthrown, Never to Be Inhabitedvv. 17-22

Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.

Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.

And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there.

But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses.Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.

Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces.Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

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