Bible: Isa 13-23
The Lord Will Judge Babylon
This is a message about Babylon that God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz: 2
13:2 3On a bare hill raise a signal flag,
shout to them,
wave your hand,
so they might enter the gates of the princes!
13:3 I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; 4
I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, 5
my boasting, arrogant ones. 6
13:4 7There is a loud noise on the mountains –
it sounds like a large army! 8
There is great commotion among the kingdoms 9 –
nations are being assembled!
The
forces for battle.
13:5 They come from a distant land,
from the horizon. 10
It is the
coming to destroy the whole earth. 12
13:6 Wail, for the
it comes with all the destructive power of the sovereign judge. 14
13:7 For this reason all hands hang limp, 15
every human heart loses its courage. 16
13:8 They panic –
cramps and pain seize hold of them
like those of a woman who is straining to give birth.
They look at one another in astonishment;
their faces are flushed red. 17
13:9 Look, the
it is a day of cruelty and savage, raging anger, 19
and annihilating its sinners.
13:10 Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations
no longer give out their light; 22
the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,
and the moon does not shine. 23
13:11 24I will punish the world for its evil, 25
and wicked people for their sin.
I will put an end to the pride of the insolent,
I will bring down the arrogance of tyrants. 26
13:12 I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold,
and people more scarce 27 than gold from Ophir.
13:13 So I will shake the heavens, 28
and the earth will shake loose from its foundation, 29
because of the fury of the
in the day he vents his raging anger. 30
13:14 Like a frightened gazelle 31
or a sheep with no shepherd,
each will turn toward home, 32
each will run to his homeland.
13:15 Everyone who is caught will be stabbed;
everyone who is seized 33 will die 34 by the sword.
13:16 Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;
their houses will be looted
and their wives raped.
13:17 Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; 35
they are not concerned about silver,
nor are they interested in gold. 36
13:18 Their arrows will cut young men to ribbons; 37
they have no compassion on a person’s offspring, 38
they will not 39 look with pity on children.
13:19 Babylon, the most admired 40 of kingdoms,
the Chaldeans’ source of honor and pride, 41
will be destroyed by God
just as Sodom and Gomorrah were. 42
13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 43
No bedouin 44 will camp 45 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 46 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 47 houses will be full of hyenas. 48
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 49
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 50
Her time is almost up, 51
her days will not be prolonged. 52
14:1 The
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 60 has ceased!
14:5 The
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 61 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 62
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 63
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 64
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 65
‘Since you fell asleep, 66
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 67
14:9 Sheol 68 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 69 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 70
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 71
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 72 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 73
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 74
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 75
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 76 of the nations! 77
14:13 You said to yourself, 78
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 79
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 80
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 81 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 82
14:15 But you were brought down 83 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 84
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 85
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 86 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 87
14:18 88As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them 89 lie down in splendor, 90
each in his own tomb. 91
14:19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away. 92
You lie among 93 the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for 94 the stones of the pit, 95
as if you were a mangled corpse. 96
14:20 You will not be buried with them, 97
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare to execute 98 his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed. 99
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.” 100
14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 101
including the offspring she produces,” 102
says the
14:23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals 103
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” 104
says the
The
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
14:25 I will break Assyria 106 in my land,
I will trample them 107 underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. 108
14:26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.” 109
14:27 Indeed, 110 the
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it? 111
The Lord Will Judge the Philistines
14:28 In the year King Ahaz died, 112 this message was revealed: 113
14:29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken! 114
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder. 115
14:30 The poor will graze in my pastures; 116
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors. 117
14:31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear, 118 all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks. 119
14:32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation? 120
Indeed, the
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
The Lord Will Judge Moab
15:1 Here is a message about Moab:
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Ar of Moab is destroyed!
Indeed, in a night it is devastated,
Kir of Moab is destroyed!
15:2 They went up to the temple, 121
the people of Dibon went up to the high places to lament. 122
Because of what happened to Nebo and Medeba, 123 Moab wails.
Every head is shaved bare,
every beard is trimmed off. 124
15:3 In their streets they wear sackcloth;
on their roofs and in their town squares
all of them wail,
they fall down weeping.
15:4 The people of 125 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,
their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.
For this reason Moab’s soldiers shout in distress;
their courage wavers. 126
15:5 My heart cries out because of Moab’s plight, 127
and for the fugitives 128 stretched out 129 as far as Zoar and Eglath Shelishiyah.
For they weep as they make their way up the ascent of Luhith;
they loudly lament their demise on the road to Horonaim. 130
15:6 For the waters of Nimrim are gone; 131
the grass is dried up,
the vegetation has disappeared,
and there are no plants.
15:7 For this reason what they have made and stored up,
they carry over the Stream of the Poplars.
15:8 Indeed, the cries of distress echo throughout Moabite territory;
their wailing can be heard in Eglaim and Beer Elim. 132
15:9 Indeed, the waters of Dimon 133 are full of blood!
Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. 134
A lion will attack 135 the Moabite fugitives
and the people left in the land.
16:1 Send rams as tribute to the ruler of the land, 136
from Sela in the desert 137
to the hill of Daughter Zion.
16:2 At the fords of the Arnon 138
the Moabite women are like a bird
that flies about when forced from its nest. 139
16:3 “Bring a plan, make a decision! 140
Provide some shade in the middle of the day! 141
Hide the fugitives! Do not betray 142 the one who tries to escape!
16:4 Please let the Moabite fugitives live 143 among you.
Hide them 144 from the destroyer!”
Certainly 145 the one who applies pressure will cease, 146
the destroyer will come to an end,
those who trample will disappear 147 from the earth.
16:5 Then a trustworthy king will be established;
he will rule in a reliable manner,
this one from David’s family. 148
He will be sure to make just decisions
and will be experienced in executing justice. 149
16:6 We have heard about Moab’s pride,
their great arrogance,
their boasting, pride, and excess. 150
But their boastful claims are empty! 151
16:7 So Moab wails over its demise 152 –
they all wail!
Completely devastated, they moan
about what has happened to the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. 153
16:8 For the fields of Heshbon are dried up,
as well as the vines of Sibmah.
The rulers of the nations trample all over its vines,
which reach Jazer and spread to the desert;
their shoots spread out and cross the sea.
16:9 So I weep along with Jazer 154
over the vines of Sibmah.
I will saturate you 155 with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the conquering invaders shout triumphantly
over your fruit and crops. 156
16:10 Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards,
and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts;
no one treads out juice in the wine vats 157 –
I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. 158
16:11 So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, 159
my inner being sighs 160 for Kir Hareseth. 161
16:12 When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, 162
and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective! 163
16:13 This is the message the
The Lord Will Judge Damascus
17:1 Here is a message about Damascus:
“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,
it is a heap of ruins!
17:2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned. 166
They will be used for herds,
which will lie down there in peace. 167
17:3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,
and Damascus will lose its kingdom. 168
The survivors in Syria
will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”
says the
17:4 “At that time 169
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, 170
and he will become skin and bones. 171
17:5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
17:6 There will be some left behind,
like when an olive tree is beaten –
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the
17:7 At that time 172 men will trust in their creator; 173
they will depend on 174 the Holy One of Israel. 175
17:8 They will no longer trust in 176 the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. 177
17:9 At that time 178 their fortified cities will be
like the abandoned summits of the Amorites, 179
which they abandoned because of the Israelites;
there will be desolation.
17:10 For you ignore 180 the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector. 181
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines. 182
17:11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow; 183
the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.
Yet the harvest will disappear 184 in the day of disease
and incurable pain.
17:12 The many nations massing together are as good as dead, 185
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves. 186
The people making such an uproar are as good as dead, 187
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves. 188
17:13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, 189
when he shouts at 190 them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles 191 before a strong gale.
17:14 In the evening there is sudden terror; 192
by morning they vanish. 193
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us! 194
The Lord Will Judge a Distant Land in the South
18:1 The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, 195
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
18:2 that sends messengers by sea,
who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, 196
to a people that are feared far and wide, 197
to a nation strong and victorious, 198
whose land rivers divide. 199
18:3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
18:4 For this is what the
“I will wait 200 and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, 201
like a cloud of mist 202 in the heat 203 of harvest.” 204
18:5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears, 205
he will cut off the unproductive shoots 206 with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils. 207
18:6 They will all be left 208 for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals; 209
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
18:7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide. 210
The tribute 211 will be brought to the place where the
The Lord Will Judge Egypt
19:1 Here is a message about Egypt:
Look, the
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage. 213
19:2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, 214
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms. 215
19:3 The Egyptians will panic, 216
and I will confuse their strategy. 217
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 218
19:4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master, 219 the
19:5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty. 220
19:6 The canals 221 will stink; 222
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
19:7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river. 223
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away. 224
19:8 The fishermen will mourn and lament,
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve. 225
19:9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale. 226
19:10 Those who make cloth 227 will be demoralized; 228
all the hired workers will be depressed. 229
19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; 230
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” 231
19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? 232
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the
19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis 233 are misled;
the rulers 234 of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
19:14 The
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. 236
19:15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk. 237
19:16 At that time 238 the Egyptians 239 will be like women. 240 They will tremble and fear because the
19:18 At that time five cities 243 in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the
19:23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 253 19:24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing 254 in the earth. 255 19:25 The
20:1 The
The Lord Will Judge Babylon
21:1 Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: 265
Like strong winds blowing in the south, 266
one invades from the desert,
from a land that is feared.
21:2 I have received a distressing message: 267
“The deceiver deceives,
the destroyer destroys.
Attack, you Elamites!
Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning!” 268
21:3 For this reason my stomach churns; 269
cramps overwhelm me
like the contractions of a woman in labor.
I am disturbed 270 by what I hear,
horrified by what I see.
21:4 My heart palpitates, 271
I shake in fear; 272
the twilight I desired
has brought me terror.
21:5 Arrange the table,
lay out 273 the carpet,
eat and drink! 274
Get up, you officers,
smear oil on the shields! 275
21:6 For this is what the sovereign master 276 has told me:
“Go, post a guard!
He must report what he sees.
21:7 When he sees chariots,
teams of horses, 277
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels,
he must be alert,
very alert.”
21:8 Then the guard 278 cries out:
“On the watchtower, O sovereign master, 279
I stand all day long;
at my post
I am stationed every night.
21:9 Look what’s coming!
A charioteer,
a team of horses.” 280
When questioned, he replies, 281
“Babylon has fallen, fallen!
All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”
21:10 O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor, 282
what I have heard
from the
the God of Israel,
I have reported to you.
Bad News for Seir
21:11 Here is a message about Dumah: 283
Someone calls to me from Seir, 284
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?” 285
21:12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but then night. 286
If you want to ask, ask;
come back again.” 287
The Lord Will Judge Arabia
21:13 Here is a message about Arabia:
In the thicket of Arabia you spend the night,
you Dedanite caravans.
21:14 Bring out some water for the thirsty.
You who live in the land of Tema,
bring some food for the fugitives.
21:15 For they flee from the swords –
from the drawn sword
and from the battle-ready bow
and from the severity of the battle.
21:16 For this is what the sovereign master 288 has told me: “Within exactly one year 289 all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. 21:17 Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” 290 Indeed, 291 the
The Lord Will Judge Jerusalem
22:1 Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: 292
What is the reason 293
that all of you go up to the rooftops?
22:2 The noisy city is full of raucous sounds;
the town is filled with revelry. 294
Your slain were not cut down by the sword;
they did not die in battle. 295
22:3 296All your leaders ran away together –
they fled to a distant place;
all your refugees 297 were captured together –
they were captured without a single arrow being shot. 298
22:4 So I say:
“Don’t look at me! 299
I am weeping bitterly.
Don’t try 300 to console me
concerning the destruction of my defenseless people.” 301
22:5 For the sovereign master, 302 the
has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. 303
In the Valley of Vision 304 people shout 305
and cry out to the hill. 306
22:6 The Elamites picked up the quiver,
and came with chariots and horsemen; 307
the men of Kir 308 prepared 309 the shield. 310
22:7 Your very best valleys were full of chariots; 311
horsemen confidently took their positions 312 at the gate.
22:8 They 313 removed the defenses 314 of Judah.
At that time 315 you looked
for the weapons in the House of the Forest. 316
22:9 You saw the many breaks
in the walls of the city of David; 317
you stored up water in the lower pool.
22:10 You counted the houses in Jerusalem, 318
and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. 319
22:11 You made a reservoir between the two walls
for the water of the old pool –
but you did not trust in 320 the one who made it; 321
you did not depend on 322 the one who formed it long ago!
22:12 At that time the sovereign master, the
for shaved heads and sackcloth. 323
22:13 But look, there is outright celebration! 324
You say, “Kill the ox and slaughter the sheep,
eat meat and drink wine.
Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 325
22:14 The
22:15 This is what the sovereign master, the
“Go visit this administrator, Shebna, who supervises the palace, 328 and tell him: 329
22:16 ‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? 330
Why 331 do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here?
He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place,
he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
22:17 Look, the
He will wrap you up tightly. 334
22:18 He will wind you up tightly into a ball
and throw you into a wide, open land. 335
There you will die,
and there with you will be your impressive chariots, 336
which bring disgrace to the house of your master. 337
22:19 I will remove you from 338 your office;
you will be thrown down 339 from your position.
22:20 “At that time 340 I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah. 22:21 I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. 341 He will become a protector of 342 the residents of Jerusalem and of the people 343 of Judah. 22:22 I will place the key 344 to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 22:23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; 345 he will bring honor and respect to his father’s family. 346 22:24 His father’s family will gain increasing prominence because of him, 347 including the offspring and the offshoots. 348 All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg.’ 349
22:25 “At that time,” 350 says the
The Lord Will Judge Tyre
23:1 Here is a message about Tyre:
Wail, you large ships, 353
for the port is too devastated to enter! 354
From the land of Cyprus 355 this news is announced to them.
23:2 Lament, 356 you residents of the coast,
you merchants of Sidon 357 who travel over the sea,
whose agents sail over 23:3 the deep waters! 358
Grain from the Shihor region, 359
crops grown near the Nile 360 she receives; 361
she is the trade center 362 of the nations.
23:4 Be ashamed, O Sidon,
for the sea 363 says this, O fortress of the sea:
“I have not gone into labor
or given birth;
I have not raised young men
or brought up young women.” 364
23:5 When the news reaches Egypt,
they will be shaken by what has happened to Tyre. 365
23:6 Travel to Tarshish!
Wail, you residents of the coast!
23:7 Is this really your boisterous city 366
whose origins are in the distant past, 367
and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?
23:8 Who planned this for royal Tyre, 368
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are the dignitaries 369 of the earth?
23:9 The
to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty, 370
to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.
23:10 Daughter Tarshish, travel back to your land, as one crosses the Nile;
there is no longer any marketplace in Tyre. 371
23:11 The
he shook kingdoms;
he 373 gave the order
to destroy Canaan’s fortresses. 374
23:12 He said,
“You will no longer celebrate,
oppressed 375 virgin daughter Sidon!
Get up, travel to Cyprus,
but you will find no relief there.” 376
23:13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
these people who have lost their identity! 377
The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals.
They erected their siege towers, 378
demolished 379 its fortresses,
and turned it into a heap of ruins. 380
23:14 Wail, you large ships, 381
for your fortress is destroyed!
23:15 At that time 382 Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, 383 the typical life span of a king. 384 At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: 385
23:16 “Take the harp,
go through the city,
forgotten prostitute!
Play it well,
play lots of songs,
so you’ll be noticed!” 386
23:17 At the end of seventy years 387 the