1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

2"Lift up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, wave the hand, so that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded My holy ones, I have also called My mighty ones for My anger, even those who rejoice in My triumph."

4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the LORD of hosts gathers an army for the battle.

5They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, the LORD and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole earth.

6Howl! For the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7Therefore, all hands shall be faint, and every man's heart shall melt;

8And they shall be afraid. Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall be in pain like a woman who travails. They shall be amazed at one another, their faces are like blazing fire.

9Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation; and He shall destroy the sinners out of it,

10For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not reflect its light.

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 tyrants.

12I will make man more scarce than gold; even man more than the fine gold of Ophir.

13Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall move out of its place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.

14And it shall be as a hunted gazelle, and as sheep without a shepherd; each man shall look to his own people, and each one shall flee into his own land.

15Everyone who is found shall be thrust through; and everyone who is captured shall fall by the sword.

16And their children shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be plundered, and their wives raped.

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not value silver; and they shall not delight in gold.

18And their bows 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.

19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the majestic beauty of the Chaldees, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

20It shall never be inhabited forever, nor shall people dwell in it from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there; nor shall the shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.

21But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of howling creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and he-goats shall dance there.

22And hyenas shall cry in their towers, and jackals in their luxuriant palaces. Yea, her time is coming near, and her days shall not be prolonged."