Isaiah 13

1 This is the burden [message from God, prophecy] against Babylon [city of confusion, Babel] that Isaiah [Jehovah has saved] son [descendant, offspring] of Amoz [father of the prophet] received [saw, had a vision, prophesied]: word study 2 Raise a banner [on a high mountain, upon the dark mountain] on a barren [bare, scraped barren] hilltop; call aloud [lift up the voice, exalt the voice] to them. Wave your hand [shake the hand, to sprinkle], that they may enter [go into, approach] the gates [entrances, doorways] of the nobles [princes, generous ones]. word study 3 I [the Lord] have commanded [given orders to, appointed] My sanctified ones [consecrated, set apart ones]; I have even [also, too] summoned [called out to] My warriors [mighty men, strong ones] to execute [carry out, fulfill] My wrath [anger, fierce judgment] and exult [rejoice, jubilant] in My triumph [victory, highness, glory]. word study 4 Listen, a tumult [noise of a multitude] on the mountains [hills], like that of a great multitude [a large crowd, a numerous people]! Listen, an uproar [tumultuous noise, roar] among the kingdoms [nations, dominions], like nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] gathered together [assembled, brought together]! The LORD [Yehovah, God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces] is mobilizing [mustering, numbering] an army [host, large group] for war [battle, conflict]. word study 5 They are coming [from distant lands, from beyond the far horizons] from faraway lands, from the ends [the uttermost part, the farthest edge] of the heavens [the visible universe, the sky]— the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and the weapons [instruments, utensils] of His wrath [intense anger, indignation]— to destroy [corrupt, bring to ruin] the whole [entire, all] country [land, territory]. word study 6 Wail [howl in fear, send out a cry of grief], for the Day [a period of time, a season of judgment] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] is near [at hand, approaching]; it will come as destruction [a violent overthrow, ruin] from the Almighty [Shadday, the all-powerful One, having great strength]. word study 7 Therefore [for this cause, thus] all [every, entire] hands [human strength, power] will fall limp [be faint, feeble, slacken], and every [all, each] man’s [human, person, enosh] heart [innermost being, mind, and emotions] will melt [be turned to water, waste away, lose courage]. word study 8 Terror [fear, dread], pain [pangs, sorrows], and anguish [intense suffering] will seize them; they will writhe [twist, be in agony] like a woman [giving birth] in labor [travail, childbirth]. They will look [gaze, stare] at one another [each other, their neighbor], their faces [countenances, expressions] flushed [burning, like flames] with fear [alarm, amazement]. word study 9 Behold [look, see], the Day [a period of time, a season] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] is coming [approaching, drawing near]— cruel [harsh, unkind], with fury [intense anger, wrath] and burning anger [fierce, passionate wrath]— to make the earth [land, ground] a desolation [waste, ruin, horror] and to destroy [annihilate, devastate] the sinners [those who have committed sin, the guilty] within it [from it, out of it]. word study 10 For the stars [celestial bodies, heavenly hosts] of heaven [the sky, the universe] and their constellations [Orion, big and powerful] will not give their light [natural illumination, spiritual guidance]. The rising sun [east or west direction] will be darkened [obscured, hidden], and the moon [the natural satellite] will not give its light [shine, glitter]. word study 11 I will punish [visit, oversee] the world [the earth and its inhabitants] for its evil [moral or natural harm, adversity] and the wicked [morally wrong, guilty of crime or sin] for their iniquity [moral evil, sin, like the kind God sees in people’s hearts]. I will end [cause to cease, bring to an end] the haughtiness [pride, majesty, arrogance] of the arrogant [proud, presumptuous] and lay low [abase, humble] the pride [excellence, majesty, power] of the ruthless [fearful, awe-inspiring, powerful]. word study 12 I will make man [more precious, scarce] scarcer than pure gold [fine, refined], and mankind [human, people] rarer [more rare, harder to find] than the gold [pure, valuable] of Ophir [in southern Arabia, a region known for its gold]. word study 13 Therefore I will make the heavens [the visible universe and the abode of God] tremble [to shake with fear or excitement], and the earth [the land or ground] will be shaken [to quake or tremble] from its place [its established position or location] at the wrath [fierce anger or indignation] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [the armies of angels] on the day [a literal or figurative period of time] of His burning anger [intense, passionate wrath]. word study 14 Like a hunted [chased, driven away] gazelle, like a sheep [flock, without guidance] without a shepherd, each will return [turn, face] to his own people [nation, community], each will flee [run away, escape] to his native [own, inherited] land [country, territory]. word study 15 Whoever [everyone who is found, every one that is overtaken] is caught [found, thrust through] will be stabbed [pierced, thrust through], and whoever [every one that is] is captured [snatched, swept away] will die [fall, be slain] by the sword [cutting instrument, knife]. word study 16 Their infants [young children, sucklings] will be dashed [broken, smashed] to pieces [in a violent manner] before their eyes [in their sight, openly], their houses [homes, dwellings] will be looted [plundered, rifled], and their wives [women, female partners] will be ravished [violently taken, raped, laid with]. word study 17 Behold [look, see], I will stir up [rouse, awaken] against them the Medes [a people from Media, descendants of Japheth], who have no regard [do not value, do not esteem] for silver [money, wealth] and no desire [do not delight, have no pleasure] for gold [a valuable metal, treasure]. word study 18 Their bows [weapons of war] will dash [shatter, break into pieces] young men [youth, from infancy to adolescence] to pieces; they will have no mercy [pity, compassion] on the fruit [offspring, children] of the womb [belly, the seat of life]; they will not look [gaze, show concern] with pity [compassion, kindness] on the children [sons, descendants]. word study 19 And Babylon [the glory of kingdoms, a city of confusion], the jewel [beauty, precious gem] of the kingdoms, the glory [excellence, majestic splendor] of the pride [arrogance, excellence] of the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia], will be overthrown [completely destroyed, devastated] by God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] like Sodom [a city of wickedness] and Gomorrah [a city of corruption]. word study 20 She will never [for all eternity, forever] be inhabited [dwelt in, lived in] or settled [established, made to stay] from generation [a period of time, an age] to generation [a succession of people]; no nomad [Arab, desert traveler] will pitch [set up, take down] his tent [temporary dwelling] there, no shepherd [one who cares for, tends to] will rest [lie down, make to stay] his flock [group of sheep, those under his care] there. word study 21 But desert creatures [wild beasts of the desert] will lie down [stretch out, rest] there, and howling creatures [doleful creatures, jackals] will fill her houses [their dwellings, places]. Ostriches [daughters of the ostrich] will dwell [live, stay] there, and wild goats [hairy ones, satyrs] will leap about [skip, dance]. word study 22 Hyenas [wild beasts, jackals] will howl in her fortresses [desolate houses, ruined towers] and jackals [wolves, dragons] in her luxurious [pleasant, lavish] palaces. Babylon’s [the city of Babylon] time [appointed hour, season] is at hand [near to come, soon to arrive], and her days [period of prosperity, era of dominance] will not be prolonged [extended, drawn out]. word study