MLV(i)
1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2 Set up an ensign upon the bare mountain. Lift up the voice to them. Wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my consecrated ones, yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly rejoicing ones.
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the army for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the outermost part of heaven, even Jehovah and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail you*, for the day of Jehovah is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble and every heart of man will melt. 8 And they will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will take hold. They will be in pain as a woman in travail. They will look in amazement one at another, their faces, faces of flame.
9 Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy the sinners of it out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations of it will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for the evil and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble and the earth will be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger.
14 And it will happen, that as the chased roe and as sheep that no man gathers, they will turn every man to his own people and will flee every man to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through and everyone who is taken will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be rifled and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver and as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 And their bows will dash the young men in pieces. And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, nor will it be dwelt in from generation to generation. Neither will the Arabian pitch tent there, nor will shepherds make their flocks to lie down there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there and their houses will be full of doleful creatures. And ostriches will dwell there and wild goats will dance there. 22 And wolves will cry in their castles and jackals in the pleasant palaces. And her time is near to come and her days will not be prolonged.
2 Set up an ensign upon the bare mountain. Lift up the voice to them. Wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my consecrated ones, yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly rejoicing ones.
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the army for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the outermost part of heaven, even Jehovah and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail you*, for the day of Jehovah is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble and every heart of man will melt. 8 And they will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will take hold. They will be in pain as a woman in travail. They will look in amazement one at another, their faces, faces of flame.
9 Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy the sinners of it out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations of it will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for the evil and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will humble the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble and the earth will be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger.
14 And it will happen, that as the chased roe and as sheep that no man gathers, they will turn every man to his own people and will flee every man to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through and everyone who is taken will fall by the sword. 16 Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be rifled and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver and as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 And their bows will dash the young men in pieces. And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, nor will it be dwelt in from generation to generation. Neither will the Arabian pitch tent there, nor will shepherds make their flocks to lie down there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there and their houses will be full of doleful creatures. And ostriches will dwell there and wild goats will dance there. 22 And wolves will cry in their castles and jackals in the pleasant palaces. And her time is near to come and her days will not be prolonged.