Isaiah 13

¹The word of the Lord about Babylon which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.

²Put up a flag on a clear mountain-top, make a loud outcry to them, give directions with the hand, so that they may go into the doors of the great ones.

³I have given orders to my holy ones, I have sent out my men of war, those of mine who take pride in their power, to give effect to my wrath.

⁴The noise of great numbers in the mountains, like the noise of a strong people! The noise of the kingdoms of the nations meeting together! The Lord of armies is numbering his forces for war.

⁵They come from a far country, from the farthest part of heaven, even the Lord and the instruments of his wrath, with destruction for all the land.

⁶Send out a cry of grief; for the day of the Lord is near; it comes as destruction from the Most High.

⁷For this cause all hands will be feeble, and every heart of man be turned to water;

⁸Their hearts will be full of fear; pains and sorrows will overcome them; they will be in pain like a woman in childbirth; they will be shocked at one another; their faces will be like flames.

⁹See, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with wrath and burning passion: to make the land a waste, driving the sinners in it to destruction.

¹⁰For the stars of heaven and its bright armies will not give their light: the sun will be made dark in his journey through the heaven, and the moon will keep back her light.

¹¹And I will send punishment on the world for its evil, and on the sinners for their wrongdoing; and I will put an end to all pride, and will make low the power of the cruel.