Isaiah 13 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Isaiah 13 meaning explained in AI Summary

Isaiah 13 details a prophecy of Babylon's complete and utter destruction. It's a vivid and terrifying picture of God's judgment against the nation for its pride, violence, and oppression.

1. The Proclamation of Judgment (verses 1-5):

- God raises a "banner" and summons his "consecrated army" from the distant lands to unleash his wrath upon Babylon.

- The imagery used is powerful, depicting a vast and unstoppable force.

2. The Day of the Lord (verses 6-13):

- The prophet describes the coming day of the Lord as a time of terror and destruction.

- The language evokes cosmic upheaval: the heavens tremble, the stars darken, the earth shakes.

- People will be overcome with fear and despair, their courage failing them.

3. Babylon's Fate (verses 14-22):

- Babylon, despite its might and splendor, will be utterly destroyed.

- Its people will be slaughtered, its treasures plundered, and its land left desolate.

- The city will become a haunt for wild animals, a symbol of God's complete judgment.

Key Themes:

God's Sovereignty: He is in control of history and nations. Babylon, despite its power, is ultimately subject to his judgment.
Justice and Righteousness: God will not tolerate wickedness indefinitely. Babylon's pride, violence, and oppression will be met with his righteous anger.
The Emptiness of Worldly Power: Babylon's wealth, military might, and impressive structures offer no protection against God's judgment.
Hope for the Oppressed: While the prophecy is terrifying, it ultimately offers hope. God's judgment on Babylon signifies liberation for those who have suffered under its rule.

Important Note: While the prophecy specifically targets Babylon, it also serves as a warning to all nations and people who turn away from God and embrace wickedness. It reminds us that true security and lasting peace are found only in obedience to God.

Isaiah 13 bible study ai commentary

An oracle detailing the absolute, violent overthrow of Babylon. The prophecy functions on a dual level: it predicts the historical fall of Babylon to the Medes, and it uses this event as a paradigm for the eschatological Day of the LORD. The chapter vividly portrays God's sovereignty, mustering armies to execute His wrath against human pride and rebellion, resulting in both societal collapse and cosmic upheaval.

Isaiah 13 Context

This prophecy was given by Isaiah in the 8th century BC, likely before 700 BC. At this time, Assyria was the dominant world power, not Babylon. The Neo-Babylonian empire, which would later conquer Judah in 586 BC, had not yet risen to its full prominence. Therefore, this prophecy is remarkable for predicting not only Babylon's future imperial glory and arrogance but also its eventual, total destruction by a specific people—the Medes. The cultural backdrop is Babylon's deep-seated pride, originating from Babel (Gen 11), its advanced astronomy/astrology which deified the heavenly bodies, and its worship of gods like Marduk. The prophecy is a direct assault on this worldview, declaring YHWH as the true Lord of history and the cosmos.

Isaiah 13:1

The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

In-depth-analysis

Oracle (מַשָּׂא - maśśā'): The term means "burden" or "load." It signifies a heavy, weighty message of divine judgment. This is not a word of comfort but a pronouncement of doom.
Concerning Babylon: This sets the target of the prophecy. Babylon represents the pinnacle of human civilization, power, and arrogant rebellion against God.
Isaiah... saw: Prophecy is presented as a divine vision, not human speculation. God revealed this future reality to His prophet.

Bible references

Jer 23:33-34: 'When this people... ask you, "What is the oracle of the LORD?"...' (Explains the concept of the "burden/oracle" of the LORD).
Nah 1:1: 'An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum...' (Similar introductory formula for a judgment oracle).
Hab 1:1: 'The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.' (Another example of a prophet's "burden" or vision of judgment).

Cross references

Jer 50-51 (Extensive parallel prophecy against Babylon), Rev 17-18 (Babylon as an end-times symbol), Zec 9:1 (Oracle against Hadrach).

Isaiah 13:2-3

On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles. I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.

In-depth-analysis

Bare hill: A strategic, visible rallying point for an army, stripped of all obstructions.
Raise a signal: God is the divine commander, signaling the start of the invasion.
Gates of the nobles: The entrance to the most powerful and protected parts of the city. Their breaching signifies total collapse.
My consecrated ones (קְדֹשָׁי - qᵉdōšāy): A deeply ironic term. God calls the pagan Median army His "sanctified" or "holy ones." They are set apart not for worship, but to be His instrument of holy judgment. God can use even godless nations to accomplish His holy purposes.
My mighty men: God claims this invading army as His own. Their strength is derived from His divine commission.

Bible references

Jer 51:27: 'Raise a signal on the earth, blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for war against her...' (Parallels the divine call to war against Babylon).
Jer 25:9: '...I will send for... Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land...' (God calling a pagan king "my servant").
Joel 3:9, 11: 'Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war...Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations...' (God calling nations to a place of judgment).

Cross references

Jer 1:15 (Calling kingdoms of the north), Zec 2:8-9 (God's control over nations), Rev 17:16-17 (God putting His purpose into the heart of enemies).

Isaiah 13:4-5

The sound of a tumult on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle. They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

In-depth-analysis

LORD of hosts (YHWH Tzevaot): This title for God is particularly fitting, as it means Lord of armies, both heavenly and earthly. Here, He is a general mustering His troops.
Nations gathering together: The scope is intentionally magnified beyond just the Medes, pointing toward the worldwide implications of the Day of the Lord.
From the end of the heavens: Hyperbolic language emphasizing the irresistible and far-reaching nature of God's judgment. It cannot be escaped.
Weapons of his indignation: The invading army is merely a tool, a weapon in God's hands to execute His righteous anger against sin.

Bible references

Rev 16:14, 16: '...they go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty... to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.' (The ultimate gathering of nations for judgment).
Jer 50:25: 'The LORD has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord GOD of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.' (Explicitly parallels God's judgment on Babylon with opening an armory).

Cross references

Eze 38:4-7 (Gog's mustered army), Joel 2:1-11 (Description of the Lord's terrifying army).

Isaiah 13:6-8

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

In-depth-analysis

Day of the LORD (יוֹם יְהוָה - Yôm YHWH): This is the central theme. A specific time of divine intervention in history for judgment and salvation. Here, it is portrayed as terrifying, imminent, and overwhelming.
Destruction from the Almighty (כְּשֹׁד מִשַּׁדַּי - kᵉ-šōḏ mi-Šadday): A powerful Hebrew wordplay. Shod (destruction) comes from Shadday (Almighty), emphasizing that this overwhelming power is the source of the overwhelming destruction.
Heart will melt... like a woman in labor: These are common biblical metaphors for abject terror, complete helplessness, and acute, inescapable pain. The proud and mighty Babylonians are reduced to total paralysis and fear.

Bible references

Joel 2:1, 11: '...for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near... The day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?' (Definitive passage on the Day of the LORD).
1 Thess 5:2-3: 'For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night... destruction will come upon them suddenly, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman...' (NT echoes of both the suddenness and the labor pain imagery).
Rev 6:15-17: 'Then the kings of the earth... hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks... "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb..."' (Describes the terror of humanity at the final Day of the Lord).

Cross references

Amos 5:18 (Warning that the Day is darkness), Zeph 1:14-15 (A day of wrath and distress), 2 Pet 3:10 (Day of the Lord with cosmic destruction).

Isaiah 13:9-11

Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

In-depth-analysis

Cruel, with wrath and fierce anger: The language is anthropomorphic but clear: God's justice against unrepentant, high-handed sin is severe and absolute.
Cosmic Decreation: The darkening of the sun, moon, and stars is apocalyptic language signifying the collapse of the created order. This is a direct polemic against Babylon, which prided itself on its astronomy and worshiped the heavenly bodies. YHWH shows He is the creator who can un-create.
Punish the world: The scope explicitly broadens from Babylon ("the land") to "the world" (tevel), indicating that Babylon's fall is a type for God's universal judgment.
Arrogance... pride: This is the root sin being judged. Babylon is the epitome of human pride that seeks to usurp God's glory.

Polemics

The description of cosmic collapse is a direct theological assault on Mesopotamian religion. The Babylonians believed the stars dictated destiny and their gods maintained cosmic order. Isaiah proclaims that YHWH, the God of Israel, is so supreme that He can extinguish the very lights the Babylonians worshiped, turning their perceived order back into chaos (tohu wa-bohu of Genesis 1:2). Their gods are powerless before Him.

Bible references

Matt 24:29: 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven...' (Jesus quotes this imagery, applying it to the end times).
Rev 6:12-13: '...the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth...' (Part of the sixth seal, describing the final Day of the Lord).
Joel 2:10, 31: 'The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining... The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.' (A primary source for this apocalyptic imagery).

Cross references

Prov 16:18 (Pride goes before destruction), Dan 4:37 (Nebuchadnezzar's humbling), Ezek 32:7-8 (Similar imagery against Egypt).

Isaiah 13:12-13

I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

In-depth-analysis

More rare than fine gold: A striking hyperbole for the sheer scale of the slaughter. Human life, usually considered priceless, becomes incredibly scarce, more so than the most precious material. It's a complete inversion of value.
Heavens tremble, and the earth... shaken: This again transcends a local military invasion. It speaks of a reality-altering event where the very foundations of the cosmos are shaken by God's fury. This language is consistently used for the final, eschatological judgment.

Bible references

Hag 2:6-7: '...In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in...' (Connects the shaking of creation with God's ultimate purpose).
Heb 12:26-27: 'His voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken...' (The author of Hebrews interprets this cosmic shaking as the final removal of the old order to establish God's eternal kingdom).
Rev 21:1: 'Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...' (The ultimate result of the shaking and removal of the old creation).

Cross references

2 Sam 22:8 (Earth trembles at God's anger), Joel 3:16 (Lord roars and heaven/earth tremble), Matt 27:51 (Earth shook at the crucifixion).

Isaiah 13:14-18

And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land... they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them... The Medes... who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. Their bows will slaughter the young men...

In-depth-analysis

Like a hunted gazelle: Evokes a picture of panic, chaos, and a desperate, disorganized flight for survival. The multi-ethnic empire will disintegrate as foreigners flee.
Medes: The specific historical agent of judgment is named. This is a stunningly precise prophecy, given centuries before the Medes and Persians rose to overthrow Babylon in 539 BC.
No regard for silver: The Medes' motivation was not primarily plunder, but conquest and destruction. This made them relentless and impervious to being bought off, ensuring Babylon's total ruin.
Like Sodom and Gomorrah: This is the biblical benchmark for complete, permanent, and divine annihilation from which there is no recovery.

Bible references

Jer 50:40: 'As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the LORD, so no man shall dwell there...' (Jeremiah uses the exact same analogy for Babylon's fall).
Dan 5:28, 30-31: '...your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians... That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom...' (The historical fulfillment of the prophecy).
Gen 19:24-25: 'Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire... and he overthrew those cities...' (The original event of total destruction).
2 Pet 2:6: '...if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction... having made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly...' (Sodom as a biblical "type" of judgment).

Cross references

Jer 51:11, 28 (Naming the Medes), Jer 50:16 (Foreigners fleeing).

Isaiah 13:19-22

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there goat-demons will dance. Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in its pleasant palaces. Its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.

In-depth-analysis

Glory of kingdoms... splendor and pomp: Isaiah acknowledges Babylon's greatness to emphasize the totality of its fall. The higher the pride, the greater the humiliation.
Never be inhabited: This prophecy of permanent desolation was fulfilled. While other ancient cities were rebuilt, the site of ancient Babylon remains ruins in modern Iraq.
Goat-demons will dance (שְׂעִירִים - śĕʿîrîm): This refers to satyrs or goat-like creatures from folklore, representing a place given over to wildness, chaos, and demonic influence. It is the complete opposite of a civilized, glorious city.
Its time is close at hand: For the original audience, this conveyed imminence and certainty, even if it was prophetically distant.

Polemics

The image of a great city becoming a wasteland inhabited by demonic creatures is a powerful reversal. The ziggurat of Babylon was seen as a gateway for the gods to descend to earth. Isaiah declares it will become a gateway for howling creatures and demons, a place utterly abandoned by God and civilization.

Bible references

Rev 18:2: 'And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird..."' (The language is directly borrowed from Isaiah 13, applying it to the fall of end-times "Mystery Babylon").
Jer 51:37: 'Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without an inhabitant.' (A direct parallel in Jeremiah's prophecy).

Cross references

Isa 34:11-15 (Similar language for Edom's desolation), Rev 9:2 (The demonic abyss).

Isaiah chapter 13 analysis

The Typology of Babylon: Throughout Scripture, Babylon evolves from a historical city (Genesis 11, Isaiah 13) into a symbol. It represents the organised, prideful, idolatrous, and seductive world system that is hostile to God and His people. Its historical destruction in Isaiah 13 serves as a blueprint for the final destruction of "Mystery Babylon" in Revelation 17-18.
Dual Fulfillment: This chapter is a classic example of dual prophetic fulfillment.
- Near Fulfillment: The historical conquest of Babylon by the Medes and Persians under Cyrus in 539 BC. Specific details like the agent (Medes) were fulfilled literally.
- Far Fulfillment: The apocalyptic language (cosmic collapse, earth shaking, worldwide terror) points to the final Day of the Lord, which Jesus and the apostles applied to the events surrounding the Second Coming.
Isaiah 13 and 14 as a unit: Chapter 13 describes the event of the fall, while chapter 14 begins with a taunt song against the king of Babylon. The king's arrogant monologue in Isaiah 14:13-14 ("I will ascend to heaven... I will make myself like the Most High") is the personification of the pride condemned in chapter 13. While about a human king, these verses have been seen since the early Church as a perfect description of the original pride and fall of Satan (Lucifer, from the Latin translation of "Day Star").
The Irony of Divine Providence: A central theme is God using wicked nations as His "consecrated" tools of judgment. This showcases His absolute sovereignty over history, where even the sinful acts of men are woven into His divine plan to accomplish His righteous purposes.

Isaiah 13 summary

Isaiah 13 is a divine "burden" prophesying the utter destruction of Babylon. It details God mustering the Medes as His instrument of wrath to judge Babylon's supreme arrogance. The prophecy blends historically specific details of the city's fall with sweeping, apocalyptic imagery of cosmic collapse, making the event a type—or scale model—for the final, worldwide Day of the Lord, when all human pride will be shattered.

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Isaiah 13 AI Image Audio and Video

Isaiah chapter 13 kjv

¹ The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
² Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
³ I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
⁴ The 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 mustereth the host of the battle.
⁵ They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
⁶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
⁷ Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:
⁸ And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
⁹ Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
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 terrible.
¹² I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore 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.
¹⁴ And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
¹⁵ Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.
¹⁶ Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
¹⁷ Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
¹⁸ Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.
¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
²⁰ It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
²¹ But 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.
²² And 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.

Isaiah chapter 13 nkjv

¹ The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
² "Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
³ I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger? Those who rejoice in My exaltation."
⁴ The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle.
⁵ They come from a far country, From the end of heaven? The LORD and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.
⁶ Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
⁷ Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man's heart will melt,
⁸ And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.
⁹ Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.
¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and their constellations 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 "I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
¹² I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.
¹⁴ It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land.
¹⁵ Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
¹⁶ Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered 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 Also their bows will dash the young men to 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 settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
²¹ But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there.
²² The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged."

Isaiah chapter 13 niv

¹ A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
² Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.
³ I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath? those who rejoice in my triumph.
⁴ Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war.
⁵ They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens? the LORD and the weapons of his wrath? to destroy the whole country.
⁶ Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
⁷ Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear.
⁸ Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.
⁹ See, the day of the LORD is coming ?a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger? to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
¹⁰ The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
¹¹ I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
¹² I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.
¹⁴ Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land.
¹⁵ Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword.
¹⁶ Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated.
¹⁷ See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold.
¹⁸ Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children.
¹⁹ Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
²⁰ She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
²¹ But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.
²² Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

Isaiah chapter 13 esv

¹ The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
² On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.
³ I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.
⁴ The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle.
⁵ They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
⁶ Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
⁷ Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt.
⁸ They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
⁹ Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.
¹⁰ For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.
¹¹ I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
¹² I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.
¹³ Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
¹⁴ And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.
¹⁵ Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
¹⁶ Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.
¹⁷ Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
¹⁸ Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children.
¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
²⁰ It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
²¹ But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.
²² Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.

Isaiah chapter 13 nlt

¹ Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:
² "Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop.
Call up an army against Babylon.
Wave your hand to encourage them
as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.
³ I, the LORD, have dedicated these soldiers for this task.
Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger,
and they will rejoice when I am exalted."
⁴ Hear the noise on the mountains!
Listen, as the vast armies march!
It is the noise and shouting of many nations.
The LORD of Heaven's Armies has called this army together.
⁵ They come from distant countries,
from beyond the farthest horizons.
They are the LORD's weapons to carry out his anger.
With them he will destroy the whole land.
⁶ Scream in terror, for the day of the LORD has arrived ?
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
⁷ Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
⁸ and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear.
⁹ For see, the day of the LORD is coming ?
the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
and all the sinners destroyed with it.
¹⁰ The heavens will be black above them;
the stars will give no light.
The sun will be dark when it rises,
and the moon will provide no light.
¹¹ "I, the LORD, will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
and humble the pride of the mighty.
¹² I will make people scarcer than gold ?
more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.
¹³ For I will shake the heavens.
The earth will move from its place
when the LORD of Heaven's Armies displays his wrath
in the day of his fierce anger."
¹⁴ Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people
and flee to their own land.
¹⁵ Anyone who is captured will be cut down ?
run through with a sword.
¹⁶ Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
Their homes will be sacked, and their wives will be raped.
¹⁷ "Look, I will stir up the Medes against Babylon.
They cannot be tempted by silver
or bribed with gold.
¹⁸ The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows.
They will have no mercy on helpless babies
and will show no compassion for children."
¹⁹ Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms,
the flower of Chaldean pride,
will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah
when God destroyed them.
²⁰ Babylon will never be inhabited again.
It will remain empty for generation after generation.
Nomads will refuse to camp there,
and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.
²¹ Desert animals will move into the ruined city,
and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.
Owls will live among the ruins,
and wild goats will go there to dance.
²² Hyenas will howl in its fortresses,
and jackals will make dens in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon's days are numbered;
its time of destruction will soon arrive.