 1 The burden of Babylon that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw: 2 Lift up a banner on a bare mountain. Exalt the voice to them. Shake the hand so that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my holy ones. I have also called my mighty ones for anger, those who rejoice in my highness. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people. A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together. The Lord of hosts gathers an army for the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of the heavens. The Lord and the weapons of His indignation come to destroy all the land. 6 Howl. For the day of the Lord is at hand. It will come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be faint and every man's heart will melt. 8 They will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them. They will be in pain like a woman who travails. They will be amazed at one another. Their faces will be like flames. 9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste. He will destroy its sinners out of it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give light. The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not reflect its light. 11 I will visit evil on the world, and their iniquity on the wicked. And I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the pride of tyrants. 12 I will make a man more precious than gold. Even a man than the fine gold of Ophir. 13 I will shake the heavens and the earth will move out of its place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. 14 It will be like a driven gazelle and like a sheep that no man takes up. Everyone will look to their own people and each one will flee into their own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is joined to them will fall by the sword. 16 Their children will be dashed to pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be robbed and their wives abused+. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. They will not value silver. They will not delight in gold. 18 Bows will dash the young men to pieces. They will have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eye will not spare children. 19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the majestic beauty of the Chaldees, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited forever nor will it be lived in from generation to generation. Nor will the Arabian pitch his tent there. Nor will the shepherds make their flocks lie down there. 21 But the wild beasts of the desert will lie there. Their houses will be full of howling creatures. Ostriches will live there and he goats will dance there. 22 Hyenas will cry along with his widows and jackals in palaces of delight. Her time is coming near and her days will not be prolonged.
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