Proclamation Against Babylon

1The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

2Lift you^p up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice to them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.   raise up

3I have commanded My sanctified ones, I have also called My mighty ones for My anger, even them that rejoice in My highness.   triumph

4The 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 musters the host of the battle.   Jehovah^s.f. Tsebaoth^p.f.; assembles

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

6Howl you^p; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.   wail

7Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:   weak

8And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.   JOHN 16:20–21 | in labor

9Behold, the day of the Lord come, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.   MATT 24:29; LUKE 21:25

11And 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.   ruthless

12I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.   scarce, rare

13Therefore 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.

14And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man takes up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.   gazelle

15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined to them shall fall by the sword.

16Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.   plundered

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

18Their 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.

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

20It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

21But 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.

22And 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.   huge, fierce creatures