Babylon Will Be Punished
1 This is the message that I was given about Babylon:
2 From high on a barren hill
give a signal, shout the orders,
and point the way
to enter the gates
of Babylon's proud rulers.
3 The Lord has commanded
his very best warriors
and his proud heroes
to show how angry he is.
4 Listen to the noisy crowds
on the mountains!
Kingdoms and nations
are joining forces.
The Lord All-Powerful
is bringing together
an army for battle.
5 From a distant land
the Lord is coming
fierce and furious—
he brings his weapons
to destroy the whole earth.
6 Cry and weep!
The day is coming
when the mighty Lord
will bring destruction.
* 7 All people will be terrified.
Hands will grow limp;
courage will melt away.
8 Everyone will tremble with pain
like a woman giving birth;
they will stare at each other
with horror on their faces.
There Will Be No Mercy
9 I, the Lord,
will show no mercy or pity
when that time comes.
In my anger I will destroy
the earth and every sinner
who lives on it.
10 Light will disappear
from the stars in the sky;
the dawning sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will lose its brightness.
11 I will punish this evil world
and its people
because of their sins.
I will crush the horrible pride
of those who are cruel.
12 Survivors will be harder to find
than the purest gold.
13 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
am terribly angry—
I will make the sky tremble
and the earth shake loose.
14 Everyone will run
to their homelands,
just as hunted deer run,
and sheep scatter
when they have no shepherd.
15 Those men who are captured
will be killed by a sword.
16 They will see their children
beaten against rocks,
their homes robbed,
and their wives abused.
17 The Medes can't be bought off
with silver or gold,
and I'm sending them
to attack Babylonia.
18 Their arrows will slaughter
the young men;
no pity will be shown
to babies and children.
The Lord Will Destroy Babylon
19 The city of Babylon
is glorious and powerful,
the pride of the nation.
But it will be like the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah
after I, the Lord,
destroyed them.
20 No one will live in Babylon.
Even nomads won't camp nearby,
and shepherds won't let
their sheep rest there.
21 Only desert creatures,
hoot owls, and ostriches
will live in its ruins,
and goats will leap about.
22 Hyenas and wolves will howl
from Babylon's fortresses
and beautiful palaces.
Its time is almost up!
1 The burden of Babel, which Isaiah the sonne of Amoz did see. 2 Lift vp a standard vpon the hie mountaine: lift vp the voyce vnto them: wagge the hand, that they may goe into the gates of the nobles. 3 I haue commanded them, that I haue sanctified: and I haue called ye mightie to my wrath, and them that reioyce in my glorie. 4 The noyse of a multitude is in the mountaines, like a great people: a tumultuous voyce of the kingdomes of the nations gathered together: the Lord of hostes nombreth the hoste of the battell. 5 They come from a farre countrey, from the end of the heauen: euen the Lord with the weapons of his wrath to destroy the whole land. 6 Howle you, for the day of the Lord is at hande: it shall come as a destroier from the Almightie. 7 Therefore shall all hands be weakened, and all mens hearts shall melt, 8 And they shalbe afraid: anguish and sorowe shall take them, and they shall haue paine, as a woman that trauaileth: euery one shall be amased at his neighbour, and their faces shalbe like flames of fire. 9 Beholde, the day of the Lord commeth, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land wast: and he shall destroy the sinners out of it. 10 For the starres of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light: the sunne shalbe darkened in his going foorth, and the moone shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will visite the wickednes vpon the worlde, and their iniquitie vpon the wicked, and I wil cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease, and will cast downe the pride of tyrants. 12 I will make a man more precious then fine golde, euen a man aboue the wedge of golde of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heauen, and the earth shall remooue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hostes, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And it shall be as a chased doe, and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp. euery man shall turne to his owne people, and flee eche one to his owne lande. 15 Euery one that is founde, shall be striken through: and whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe, shall fal by the sworde. 16 Their children also shall be broken in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be spoiled, and their wiues rauished. 17 Beholde, I will stirre vp the Medes against them, which shall not regarde siluer, nor be desirous of golde. 18 With bowes also shall they destroy ye children, and shall haue no compassion vpon the fruit of the wombe, and their eies shall not spare the children. 19 And Babel the glorie of kingdomes, the beautie and pride of the Chaldeans, shall be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomorah. 20 It shall not bee inhabited for euer, neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch his tents there, neither shall the shepheardes make their foldes there. 21 But Ziim shall lodge there, and their houses shall be ful of Ohim: Ostriches shall dwel there, and the Satyrs shall dance there. 22 And Iim shall crie in their palaces, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and the time thereof is readie to come, and the daies thereof shall not be prolonged.