1 A message a13:1 Lit. An oracle that Amoz’s son Isaiah received b13:1 Lit. saw about Babylon: ISV — Isaiah 13:1
2 “Raise a banner on a bare hilltop! Cry out loud to them! Give a wave of the hand, signaling c13:2 The Heb. lacks signaling for them to enter d13:2 So 1QIsaa; MT reads for them to enter; LXX lacks to enter the gates of the nobles. ISV — Isaiah 13:2
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones; I have also summoned my warriors, those who rejoice in my triumph, to carry out my angry judgments. e13:3 Lit. my anger ISV — Isaiah 13:3
4 “Listen! There’s a noise on the mountains like that of a great multitude! Listen! There’s an uproar among the kingdoms, like that of nations massing together! The LORD of the Heavenly Armies is mustering an army for battle. ISV — Isaiah 13:4
5 They’re coming from a faraway land, from the distant horizon— f13:5 Lit. end of the heavens the LORD and the weapons of his anger— to destroy the entire land.” g13:5 Or earth ISV — Isaiah 13:5
6 Wail out loud, because the Day of the LORD is near. It will come like destruction from the Almighty! ISV — Isaiah 13:6
7 Because of this, every hand h13:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads all hands will go limp, and every man’s courage i13:7 Lit. heart will melt. ISV — Isaiah 13:7
8 They will be terrified; pain and anguish will seize them; they’ll writhe like a woman in labor. They’ll look aghast at one another; and j13:8 So 1QIsaa; cf. LXX; 4QIsaa 4QIsab MT lack and their faces will be ablaze with fear. k13:8 DSS MT lack with fear ISV — Isaiah 13:8
9 Watch out! The Day of the LORD is coming— cruel, with wrath and fierce anger— to turn the entire inhabited l13:9 So LXX; 1QIsaa lacks the entire inhabited; the Heb. lacks entire inhabited earth m13:9 LXX lacks earth into a desolation and to annihilate sinners n13:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsaa 4QIsab MT read its sinners from it. ISV — Isaiah 13:9
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations won’t shine o13:10 So 1QIsaa; MT reads beam their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon won’t shine its light. ISV — Isaiah 13:10
11 I’ll punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I’ll put an end to the pomposity of the arrogant, and overthrow the insolence of tyrants. ISV — Isaiah 13:11
12 I’ll make people scarcer p13:12 Lit. people more precious than pure gold, and mankind rarer q13:12 1QIsaa MT lack rarer than gold from Ophir. ISV — Isaiah 13:12
13 Therefore I’ll make the heavens tremble. The earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, at the time r13:13 Lit. in the day of his burning anger. s13:13 Lit. nostrils ISV — Isaiah 13:13
14 They t13:14 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads it will be like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with no one to gather them, u13:14 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsaa reads banished each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land. ISV — Isaiah 13:14
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall dead, killed v13:15 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks dead, killed by the sword. ISV — Isaiah 13:15
16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, and w13:16 So 1QIsaa Syr; cf. LXX; 4QIsaa MT lack and their houses will be looted, and their wives slept with. x13:16 So 1QIsaa MTqere; 4QIsaa MT read raped; LXX reads they will take; cf. Deut 28:30 ISV — Isaiah 13:16
17 Watch out! I’m stirring up the Medes against them, who care nothing for silver and take no delight in gold. ISV — Isaiah 13:17
18 Their bows will dash the young men to pieces; they’ll show no pity on those not yet born, y13:18 Lit. on the fruit of the womb and z13:18 So 1QIsaa MTmss LXX; the Heb. lacks and their eyes will not spare children. ISV — Isaiah 13:18
19 Babylon, that jewel of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah, when God overthrew them— ISV — Isaiah 13:19
20 It will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Bedouin aa13:20 i.e. Middle Eastern nomadic herders; or Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there. ISV — Isaiah 13:20
21 But desert beasts will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there owls bb13:21 Or ostriches will dwell, and goat-demons cc13:21 Or satyrs; or wild goats will dance there. ISV — Isaiah 13:21
22 Hyenas will howl in its strongholds, dd13:22 Lit. desolate places and jackals will make their dens in its citadels. ee13:22 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads in the citadels of luxury Its ff13:22 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads And its time is close at hand, and its days will not be extended any further. gg13:22 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack any further ISV — Isaiah 13:22