The Burden Concerning Babylon

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

2Lift up a banner upon the high mountain, raise the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

3I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for my anger, even them that rejoice in my exaltation.

4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like that of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts musters the army of the battle.

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.

6Wail you; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7Therefore shall all hands be feeble, 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 as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

9Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy its sinners out of it.

10For the stars of heaven and its constellations shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.

11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless.

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

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 hunted gazelle, and as a sheep that no man gathers up: every man shall return to his own people, and flee everyone into his own land.

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

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

17Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who 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 Chaldeans' pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

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

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

22The hyenas shall cry in its towers, and jackals in their pleasant palaces: her time is near, and her days shall not be prolonged.