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Isaiah 13
New International Version

### A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecy(A) against Babylon(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz(C) saw:(D)

2 Raise a banner(E) on a bare hilltop,
shout to them;
beckon to them
to enter the gates(F) of the nobles.
3 I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
I have summoned my warriors(G) to carry out my wrath(H)—
those who rejoice(I) in my triumph.

4 Listen, a noise on the mountains,
like that of a great multitude!(J)
Listen, an uproar(K) among the kingdoms,
like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty(L) is mustering(M)
an army for war.
5 They come from faraway lands,
from the ends of the heavens(N)—
the Lord and the weapons(O) of his wrath(P)—
to destroy(Q) the whole country.

6 Wail,(R) for the day(S) of the Lord is near;
it will come like destruction(T) from the Almighty.[a](U)
7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,(V)
every heart will melt with fear.(W)
8 Terror(X) will seize them,
pain and anguish will grip(Y) them;
they will writhe like a woman in labor.(Z)
They will look aghast at each other,
their faces aflame.(AA)

9 See, the day(AB) of the Lord is coming
—a cruel(AC) day, with wrath(AD) and fierce anger(AE)—
to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.(AF)
The rising sun(AG) will be darkened(AH)
and the moon will not give its light.(AI)
11 I will punish(AJ) the world for its evil,
the wicked(AK) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty(AL)
and will humble(AM) the pride of the ruthless.(AN)
12 I will make people(AO) scarcer than pure gold,
more rare than the gold of Ophir.(AP)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;(AQ)
and the earth will shake(AR) from its place
at the wrath(AS) of the Lord Almighty,
in the day of his burning anger.(AT)

14 Like a hunted(AU) gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd,(AV)
they will all return to their own people,
they will flee(AW) to their native land.(AX)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
all who are caught will fall(AY) by the sword.(AZ)
16 Their infants(BA) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
their houses will be looted and their wives violated.(BB)

17 See, I will stir up(BC) against them the Medes,(BD)
who do not care for silver
and have no delight in gold.(BE)
18 Their bows(BF) will strike down the young men;(BG)
they will have no mercy(BH) on infants,
nor will they look with compassion on children.(BI)
19 Babylon,(BJ) the jewel of kingdoms,(BK)
the pride and glory(BL) of the Babylonians,[b]
will be overthrown(BM) by God
like Sodom and Gomorrah.(BN)
20 She will never be inhabited(BO)
or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads(BP) will pitch their tents,
there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
21 But desert creatures(BQ) will lie there,
jackals(BR) will fill her houses;
there the owls(BS) will dwell,
and there the wild goats(BT) will leap about.
22 Hyenas(BU) will inhabit her strongholds,(BV)
jackals(BW) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,(BX)
and her days will not be prolonged.(BY)

#### Footnotes

1. Isaiah 13:6 Hebrew Shaddai
2. Isaiah 13:19 Or Chaldeans

#### Cross references

1. Isaiah 13:1 : Isa 14:28; 15:1; 21:1; Na 1:1; Hab 1:1; Zec 9:1; 12:1; Mal 1:1
2. Isaiah 13:1 : ver 19; S Ge 10:10; Isa 14:4; 21:9; 46:1-2; 48:14; Jer 24:1; 25:12; Rev 14:8
3. Isaiah 13:1 : Isa 20:2; 37:2
4. Isaiah 13:1 : S Isa 1:1
5. Isaiah 13:2 : S Ps 20:5; Jer 50:2; 51:27
6. Isaiah 13:2 : Isa 24:12; 45:2; Jer 51:58
7. Isaiah 13:3 : ver 17; Isa 21:2; Jer 51:11; Da 5:28, 31; Joel 3:11
8. Isaiah 13:3 : S Job 40:11; S Isa 10:5
9. Isaiah 13:3 : S Ps 149:2
10. Isaiah 13:4 : Joel 3:14
11. Isaiah 13:4 : S Ps 46:6
12. Isaiah 13:4 : Isa 47:4; 51:15
13. Isaiah 13:4 : Isa 42:13; Jer 50:41
14. Isaiah 13:5 : S Isa 5:26
15. Isaiah 13:5 : Isa 45:1; 54:16; Jer 50:25
16. Isaiah 13:5 : S Isa 10:25
17. Isaiah 13:5 : S Jos 6:17; Isa 24:1; 30:25; 34:2
18. Isaiah 13:6 : Isa 14:31; 15:2; 16:7; 23:1; Eze 30:2; Jas 5:1
19. Isaiah 13:6 : S Isa 2:12
20. Isaiah 13:6 : S Isa 10:3; S 14:15
21. Isaiah 13:6 : S Ge 17:1
22. Isaiah 13:7 : S 2Ki 19:26; S Job 4:3; S Jer 47:3
23. Isaiah 13:7 : S Jos 2:11; Eze 21:7
24. Isaiah 13:8 : S Ps 31:13; S 48:5; S Isa 21:4
25. Isaiah 13:8 : Ex 15:14
26. Isaiah 13:8 : S Ge 3:16; S Jn 16:21
27. Isaiah 13:8 : Joel 2:6; Na 2:10
28. Isaiah 13:9 : S Isa 2:12; Jer 51:2
29. Isaiah 13:9 : Jer 6:23
30. Isaiah 13:9 : S Isa 9:19
31. Isaiah 13:9 : Isa 26:21; 66:16; Jer 25:31; Joel 3:2
32. Isaiah 13:10 : S Job 9:7
33. Isaiah 13:10 : Isa 24:23; Zec 14:7
34. Isaiah 13:10 : S Ex 10:22; S Isa 5:30; Rev 8:12
35. Isaiah 13:10 : Eze 32:7; Am 5:20; 8:9; S Mt 24:29*; Mk 13:24*
36. Isaiah 13:11 : Isa 3:11; 11:4; 26:21; 65:6-7; 66:16
37. Isaiah 13:11 : S Ps 125:3
38. Isaiah 13:11 : S Ps 10:5; S Pr 16:18; Da 5:23
39. Isaiah 13:11 : S Isa 2:9; 23:9; Eze 28:2; Da 4:37
40. Isaiah 13:11 : Isa 25:3, 5; 29:5, 20; 49:25, 26
41. Isaiah 13:12 : S Isa 4:1
42. Isaiah 13:12 : S Ge 10:29
43. Isaiah 13:13 : S Ps 102:26; Isa 34:4; 51:6
44. Isaiah 13:13 : S Job 9:6; S Isa 14:16; Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8
45. Isaiah 13:13 : S Isa 9:19
46. Isaiah 13:13 : S Job 9:5
47. Isaiah 13:14 : Pr 6:5
48. Isaiah 13:14 : S 1Ki 22:17; S Mt 9:36; S Jn 10:11
49. Isaiah 13:14 : S Ge 11:9; Isa 17:13; 21:15; 22:3; 33:3; Jer 4:9
50. Isaiah 13:14 : Jer 46:16; 50:16; 51:9; Na 3:7
51. Isaiah 13:15 : Jer 51:4
52. Isaiah 13:15 : Isa 14:19; Jer 50:25
53. Isaiah 13:16 : ver 18; S Nu 16:27; S 2Ki 8:12
54. Isaiah 13:16 : S Ge 34:29; S Hos 13:16
55. Isaiah 13:17 : Jer 50:9, 41; 51:1
56. Isaiah 13:17 : S ver 3
57. Isaiah 13:17 : 2Ki 18:14-16; Pr 6:34-35
58. Isaiah 13:18 : S Ps 7:12; Isa 41:2; Jer 50:9, 14, 29
59. Isaiah 13:18 : S Dt 32:25; Jer 49:26; 50:30; 51:4
60. Isaiah 13:18 : Isa 47:6; Jer 6:23; 50:42
61. Isaiah 13:18 : S ver 16; Isa 14:22; 47:9
62. Isaiah 13:19 : S ver 1
63. Isaiah 13:19 : Isa 47:5; Da 2:37-38
64. Isaiah 13:19 : Da 4:30
65. Isaiah 13:19 : S Ps 137:8; S Rev 14:8
66. Isaiah 13:19 : S Ge 19:25; Isa 1:9-10; Ro 9:29
67. Isaiah 13:20 : Isa 14:23; 34:10-15; Jer 51:29, 37-43, 62
68. Isaiah 13:20 : 2Ch 17:11
69. Isaiah 13:21 : S Ps 74:14; Rev 18:2
70. Isaiah 13:21 : Jer 14:6
71. Isaiah 13:21 : S Lev 11:16-18; S Dt 14:15-17
72. Isaiah 13:21 : Lev 17:7; 2Ch 11:15
73. Isaiah 13:22 : Isa 34:14
74. Isaiah 13:22 : Isa 25:2; 32:14
75. Isaiah 13:22 : Isa 34:13; 35:7; 43:20; Jer 9:11; 49:33; 51:37; Mal 1:3
76. Isaiah 13:22 : Dt 32:35; Jer 48:16; 51:33
77. Isaiah 13:22 : Jer 50:39

New International Version (NIV)

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