Want clarity as you read? Bible Gateway Plus gives you trusted Study Bibles and commentaries connected to every verse. Start a free trial.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Isaiah 13
New King James Version

### Proclamation Against Babylon

13 The (A)burden[a] against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 “Lift(B) up a banner (C)on the high mountain,
Raise your voice to them;
(D)Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded My [b]sanctified ones;
I have also called (E)My mighty ones for My anger—
Those who (F)rejoice in My exaltation.”

4 The (G)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 (H)Lord and His [c]weapons of indignation,
To destroy the whole (I)land.

6 Wail, (J)for the day of the Lord is at hand!
(K)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.
(L)Pangs[d] 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, (M)the day of the Lord comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy (N)its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be (O)darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 “I will (P)punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
(Q)I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the [e]terrible.
12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,
A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 (R)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 (S)the day of His fierce anger.
14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle,
And as a sheep that no man [f]takes up;
(T)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 (U)dashed to pieces before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives (V)ravished.

17 “Behold,(W) I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not [g]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 (X)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew (Y)Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 (Z)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 (AA)But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,
And their houses will be full of [h]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.
(AB)Her time is near to come,
And her days will not be prolonged.”

#### Footnotes

1. Isaiah 13:1 oracle, prophecy
2. Isaiah 13:3 consecrated or set apart
3. Isaiah 13:5 Or instruments
4. Isaiah 13:8 Sharp pains
5. Isaiah 13:11 Or tyrants
6. Isaiah 13:14 gathers
7. Isaiah 13:17 esteem
8. Isaiah 13:21 Or howling creatures

#### Cross references

1. Isaiah 13:1 : Jer. 50; 51; Matt. 1:11; Rev. 14:8
2. Isaiah 13:2 : Is. 18:3
3. Isaiah 13:2 : Jer. 51:25
4. Isaiah 13:2 : Is. 10:32
5. Isaiah 13:3 : Joel 3:11
6. Isaiah 13:3 : Ps. 149:2
7. Isaiah 13:4 : Is. 17:12; Joel 3:14
8. Isaiah 13:5 : Is. 42:13
9. Isaiah 13:5 : Is. 24:1; 34:2
10. Isaiah 13:6 : Is. 2:12; Ezek. 30:3; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:7; Rev. 6:17
11. Isaiah 13:6 : Is. 10:25; Job 31:23; Joel 1:15
12. Isaiah 13:8 : Ps. 48:6
13. Isaiah 13:9 : Mal. 4:1
14. Isaiah 13:9 : Ps. 104:35; Prov. 2:22
15. Isaiah 13:10 : Is. 24:21–23; Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:31; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25
16. Isaiah 13:11 : Is. 26:21
17. Isaiah 13:11 : [Is. 2:17]
18. Isaiah 13:13 : Is. 34:4; 51:6; Hag. 2:6
19. Isaiah 13:13 : Ps. 110:5; Lam. 1:12
20. Isaiah 13:14 : Jer. 50:16; 51:9
21. Isaiah 13:16 : Ps. 137:8, 9; Is. 13:18; 14:21; Hos. 10:14; Nah. 3:10
22. Isaiah 13:16 : Zech. 14:2
23. Isaiah 13:17 : Is. 21:2; Jer. 51:11, 28; Dan. 5:28, 31
24. Isaiah 13:19 : Is. 14:4; Dan. 4:30; Rev. 18:11–16, 19, 21
25. Isaiah 13:19 : Gen. 19:24; Deut. 29:23; Jer. 50:40; Amos 4:11
26. Isaiah 13:20 : Jer. 50:3
27. Isaiah 13:21 : Is. 34:11–15; Zeph. 2:14; Rev. 18:2
28. Isaiah 13:22 : Jer. 51:33

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying God’s Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Gift and Award Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $9.99
Our Price: $6.99
Save: $3.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Everyday Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: 365 Daily Readings Through the Whole Bible
Retail: $29.99
Our Price: $20.99
Save: $9.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $13.99
Save: $5.99 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles