1The burden of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz has seen:
2“Lift up an ensign on a high mountain, || Raise the voice to them, wave the hand, || And they go into the openings of nobles.
3I have given charge to My sanctified ones, || Also I have called My mighty ones for My anger, || Those rejoicing at My excellence.”
4A voice of a multitude in the mountains, || A likeness of a numerous people, || A voice of noise from the kingdoms of nations who are gathered, || YHWH of Hosts inspecting a host of battle!
5They are coming in from a far-off land, || From the end of the heavens, || YHWH and the instruments of His indignation, || To destroy all the land.
6Howl, for the Day of YHWH [is] near, || It comes as destruction from the Mighty.
7Therefore, all hands fail, || And every heart of man melts.
8And they have been troubled, || Pains and pangs take them, || They are pained as a travailing woman, || A man marvels at his friend, || The appearance of flames—their faces!
9Behold, the Day of YHWH comes, || Fierce, with wrath, and heat of anger, || To make the land become a desolation, || Indeed, He destroys its sinning ones from it.
10For the stars of the heavens, and their constellations, || Do not cause their light to shine, || The sun has been darkened in its going out, || And the moon does not cause its light to come forth.
11“And I have appointed evil on the world, || And on the wicked their iniquity, || And have caused the excellence of the proud to cease, || And I make the excellence of the terrible low.
12I make man more rare than fine gold, || And a common man than pure gold of Ophir.
13Therefore I cause the heavens to tremble, || And the earth shakes from its place, || In the wrath of YHWH of Hosts, || And in a day of the heat of His anger.
14And it has been, as a roe driven away, || And as a flock that has no gatherer, || Each to his people—they turn, || And each to his land—they flee.
15Everyone who is found is thrust through, || And everyone who is added falls by sword.
16And their sucklings are dashed to pieces before their eyes, || Their houses are spoiled, and their wives lain with.
17Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, || Who do not esteem silver, || And gold—they do not delight in it.
18And bows dash young men to pieces, || And they do not pity the fruit of the womb, || Their eye has no pity on sons.
19And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, || The glory, the excellence of the Chaldeans, || Has been as overthrown by God, || With Sodom and with Gomorrah.
20She does not sit forever, || Nor continue to many generations, || Nor does Arab pitch tent there, || And shepherds do not lie down there.
21And desert-dwellers have lain down there, || And their houses have been full of howlers, || And daughters of an ostrich have dwelt there, || And goats skip there.
22And howlers—he has responded in his forsaken habitations, || And dragons in palaces of delight, || And her time [is] near to come, || And her days are not drawn out!”