Isaiah 13:3 Cross References - NSB

³ »I have commanded my consecrated ones. I have called my mighty warriors. My proud ones are to express my anger, those who rejoice in my majesty (excellency).

¹ It was the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. In order that the word of Jehovah (YHWH) given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, Jehovah moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. He made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying: ² »These are the words of Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘Jehovah the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has made me responsible for building a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ³ »‘May your God be with you and let you go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah. There you are to build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. ⁴ »‘If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors should give them help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.’« ⁵ The heads of the clans of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone else whose heart God had moved got ready to go and rebuild Jehovah’s Temple in Jerusalem. ⁶ Their neighbors helped by giving many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple. ⁷ King Cyrus gave back the bowls and cups that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and put in the temple of his god. ⁸ And King Cyrus turned them over to Mithredath, chief of the royal treasury, who made an inventory of them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah, ⁹ Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. ¹⁰ There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. ¹¹ All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them along with the exiles who traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem.

¹ Then Darius the king gave an order and a search was made in the house of the records. This is where the things of value were stored in Babylon. ² In the great house of the king in the land of Media, at Achmetha they came across a roll. This statement was put on record: ³ »In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made an order: In connection with the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be constructed as the place where they make offerings. Let them brake ground for the foundation. Let it be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide, ⁴ »with three lines of large stones and one line of new wood supports. Let the necessary money be given out of the king's storehouse. ⁵ »And let the gold and silver vessels from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem to Babylon, be given back and taken again to the Temple at Jerusalem, every one in its place, and put them in the house of God. ⁶ »Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and your people the Apharsachites across the river, keep far from that place: ⁷ »Let the work of this house of God continue. Let the ruler of the Jews and their responsible men construct this house of God in its place. ⁸ »Further, I give orders as to what you are to do for the responsible men of the Jews in connection with the building of this house of God: That from the king's wealth, that is, from the taxes got together in the land over the river, the money needed is to be given to these men readily, so that their work may not be stopped. ⁹ »When they need young bulls and sheep and lambs, for burned offerings to the God of heaven and grain, salt, wine, and oil, whatever the priests in Jerusalem say is necessary, is to be given to them day by day regularly: ¹⁰ »That they may make offerings of a sweet smell to the God of heaven, with prayers for the life of the king and of his sons. ¹¹ »I further give orders that if anyone makes any change in this word; one of the supports is to be pulled out of his house. He is to be lifted up and fixed to it and his house is to be destroyed. ¹² »May the God who has made it a resting-place for his name send destruction on all kings and peoples whose hands are outstretched to make any change in this or to do damage to this house of God at Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given this order. Let it be done with all care.« ¹³ Then Tattenai, the ruler across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and their people, because of the order given by King Darius, did as he said with all care. ¹⁴ The responsible men of the Jews went on with their building and progressed rapidly. The teaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, helped them. They went on building till it was complete. They kept the word of the God of Israel, and the orders of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. ¹⁵ The construction of this house was complete on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the rule of Darius the king. ¹⁶ The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had come back, kept the feast of the opening of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷ They gave a hundred oxen, two hundred sheep and four hundred lambs as offerings at the opening of this house of God. They gave twelve he goats as a sin offering for all of Israel. Twelve is the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸ They put the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their order, for the worship of God at Jerusalem. This is recorded in the book of Moses. ¹⁹ And the children of Israel who came back kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. ²⁰ the priests and the Levites made themselves clean together. They were all clean when they put the Passover lamb to death for all those who had come back, and for their brothers the priests and for themselves. ²¹ The children of Israel, who had come back, and all those who were joined to them, after separating themselves from the evil ways of the people of the land to become the servants of Jehovah, the God of Israel, ate together. ²² They joyfully kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. Jehovah filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Assyria to them to give them help in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

¹² »Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, all peace; ¹³ »It is my order that all the people of Israel, including their priests and Levites in my kingdom, who are ready and have a desire to go to Jerusalem, are to go with you. ¹⁴ »The king and his seven wise men send you to get knowledge about Judah and Jerusalem. The Law of your God orders you. ¹⁵ »You are to take with you the silver and gold freely offered by the king and his wise men to the God of Israel, who’s Temple is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ »As well as all the silver and gold which you get from the land of Babylon, together with the offering of the people and of the priests, freely given for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ »Use this money to buy bulls, sheep, and lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ »Whatever seems right to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, that do, as may be pleasing to your God. ¹⁹ »The vessels that have been given to you for the uses of the house of your God, you are to give to the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰ »Whatever is needed for the house of your God, and which you may have to give, take it from the king's storehouse. ²¹ »And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, now give orders to all keepers of the king's money across the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may have need of from you, is to be done with all care, ²² »Up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred measures of grain, a hundred measures of wine, and a hundred measures of oil, and salt without measure. ²³ »Whatever the God of heaven orders let it be done completely for the house of the God of heaven. Let there not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. ²⁴ »In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, or any servants of this house of God. ²⁵ »And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your God which is in you, are to put rulers and judges to have authority over all the people across the river who have knowledge of the laws of your God. You are to teach any who have no knowledge of them. ²⁶ »If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, take care that punishment is given to him. This is by death or by driving him from his country or by taking away his goods or by putting him in prison.«

² Let Israel find joy in their creator. Let the people of Zion rejoice over their king.

⁵ Let God-like ones triumph in glory. Let them sing for joy on their beds. ⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands ⁷ to take vengeance on the nations, to punish the people of the world, ⁸ to put their kings in chains and their leaders in iron shackles, ⁹ to carry out the judgment that is written against them. This is an honor that belongs to all his God-like ones. Praise Jehovah!

¹¹ Jehovah has stretched his hand over the sea to shake kingdoms. He has commanded that Canaan's fortifications be destroyed.

²⁷ »‘I say to the watery deep: ‘Be a waste and I will dry up your rivers!’ ²⁸ »‘I say of Cyrus: ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please. He will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’«

⁴ »For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen one, I have called you by name. I have given you a title of honor, although you do not know me. ⁵ »I AM JEHOVAH AND THERE IS NO OTHER. THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDES ME. I will strengthen you, although you do not know me.

²¹ »Attack the land of Merathaim and the people who live in Pekod. Claim them for me by killing them with a sword, says Jehovah. Do everything I commanded you. ²² »The noise of battle and great destruction fills the land. ²³ »The hammer of the whole earth is broken and shattered. See how desolate Babylon is of all the nations! ²⁴ »I will set traps for you, Babylon. You will be caught, but you will not know it. You will be found and captured because you have opposed Jehovah.« ²⁵ Jehovah will open his armory and bring out the weapons of his fury, because Jehovah of Hosts has a job to do in the land of the Babylonians. ²⁶ Attack them from a distance, open their storehouses, pile up their corpses like piles of grain, claim them for me by destroying them, and do not leave anyone behind. ²⁷ Kill all their young bulls. Let them go to be slaughtered. How horrible it will be for them when their time has come, the time for them to be punished. ²⁸ Fugitives and refugees from Babylon are coming to Zion to tell about the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance for his temple. ²⁹ »Call together the archers, the soldiers with bows, against Babylon. Set up blockades around it. Do not let anyone escape. Pay the people of Babylon back for what they have done. Do to them what they did to others. They have disobeyed Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. ³⁰ »That is why their young men will die in the streets, and all their soldiers will be silenced that day, declares Jehovah. ³¹ »I am against you, you arrogant city, declares the Lord Jehovah of Hosts. »Your day has come, the time when I will punish you. ³² »Those prideful people will stumble and fall, and there will be no one to help them get up. I will light a fire in their cities that will burn up everything around them.« ³³ Jehovah of Hosts says: »All the people of Israel and Judah are oppressed. All their enemies have captured them. They refuse to let them go. ³⁴ »Their defender is strong. His name is Jehovah of Hosts. He will certainly take up their cause in order to bring rest to the land of Israel and unrest to the people who live in Babylon. ³⁵ »A sword will kill the Babylonians and everyone who lives in Babylon,« declares Jehovah. »A sword will kill their officials and their wise men. ³⁶ »A sword will kill the false prophets. They will become fools. A sword will kill their soldiers and defeat them. ³⁷ »A sword will kill their horses, their chariots, and all the foreigners within their ranks. They will become women. A sword will destroy their treasures, and they will be looted. ³⁸ »A drought will diminish their water supply, and it will dry up. Babylon is a land of idols, statues that will go crazy with fear. ³⁹ »That is why desert animals will live with hyenas. Desert owls will also live there. It will no longer be inhabited or lived in for generations. ⁴⁰ »Babylon will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, and their neighboring cities when I, God, destroyed them. No one will live there. No human will stay there, proclaims Jehovah. ⁴¹ »People are going to come from the north. A great nation and many kings will rise from the ends of the earth. ⁴² »They will take hold of bows and spears. They will be cruel and have no compassion. They will sound like the sea when it roars. They will ride horses. They are ready for war, ready to attack you, people of Babylon. ⁴³ »The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and he loses courage. Anguish will grip him as pain grips a woman in labor. ⁴⁴ »I will suddenly chase them from their places like a lion coming out of the jungle along the Jordan River into pastureland. I will appoint over Babylon whomever I choose. Who is like me? Who can challenge me? Is there any leader who can stand up to me?« ⁴⁵ Listen to what Jehovah is going to do against Babylon and the things he intends to do to the land of the Babylonians. He will surely drag away the little ones of the flock. He will surely destroy the pasture because of the Babylonians. ⁴⁶ The earth will quake at the news, »Babylon has been captured!« Its cry will be heard among the nations.

²⁰ He says: »You are my war-club, my weapon of war. I shatter nations with you and with you I destroy kingdoms. ²¹ »I will use you to crush horses and their riders. I will use you to crush chariots and their drivers. ²² »I will use you to crush men and women. I will use you to crush the old and the young. I will use you to crush young men and women. ²³ »I will use you to crush shepherds and their flocks. I will use you to crush farmers and their oxen. I will use you to crush governors and officials. ²⁴ »In your presence I will pay back Babylon and all the people who live in Babylon for all the evil things that they did in Zion,« proclaims Jehovah.

¹¹ »Hurry and come all you nations round about. Gather yourselves there and cause your mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah.

¹² »The ten horns that you saw are ten kings. They have not yet received a kingdom. But they receive power (authority) (influence) as kings for one hour with the beast. ¹³ »They are united in one purpose (single-minded), and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ »They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome (conquer) them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. Those who are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.« ¹⁵ He says to me: »The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, and crowds, and nations, and languages. ¹⁶ »The ten horns that you saw on the beast will hate the harlot, and will make her desolate and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ »For God put in their hearts the desire to carry out his purpose, and to agree, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. ¹⁸ »The woman you saw is that great city that reigns over the kings of the earth.«

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven, say: »Come out of her, my people, that you do not partake of her sins, and that you do not receive her plagues! ⁵ »For her sins have reached up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶ »Render to her even as she rendered to you. Pay back double to her, double according to her works: in the cup that she has filled, fill double for her! ⁷ »To the extent she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to that extent give her much torment and sorrow. She says in her heart: 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and I shall see no sorrow.' ⁸ »Therefore her plagues (literal and figurative) will overtake her in one day, death and mourning and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire, for mighty is Jehovah God who judges her. (Jeremiah 50:34; 51:58)

²⁰ »Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God pronounced judgment for you against her.«