The Judgment of Babylon

Isaiah 13

1 The a burden 1 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 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 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 a But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,
And their houses will be full of 8 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.
b Her time is near to come,
And her days will not be prolonged."

  1. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:1
    The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
    Jeremiah 51:1
    Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.
    Matthew 1:11
    Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
    Revelation 14:8
    And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
  2. Cross References
    Isaiah 18:3
    All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth: When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it; And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it.
  3. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:25
    Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys all the earth," says the LORD. "And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt mountain.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 10:32
    As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem.
  5. Cross References
    Joel 3:11
    Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD.
  6. Cross References
    Psalms 149:2
    Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
  7. Cross References
    Isaiah 17:12
    Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
    Joel 3:14
    Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 42:13
    The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 24:1
    Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.
    Isaiah 34:2
    For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.
  10. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:12
    For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up - And it shall be brought low -
    Ezekiel 30:3
    For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
    Amos 5:18
    Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light.
    Zephaniah 1:7
    Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD; For the day of the LORD is at hand, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.
    Revelation 6:17
    "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
  11. Cross References
    Isaiah 10:25
    "For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction."
    Job 31:23
    For destruction from God is a terror to me, And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.
    Joel 1:15
    Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
  12. Cross References
    Psalms 48:6
    Fear took hold of them there, And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs.
  13. Cross References
    Malachi 4:1
    For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch.
  14. Cross References
    Psalms 104:35
    May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!
    Proverbs 2:22
    But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
  15. Cross References
    Isaiah 24:21 - 23
    It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD...
    Ezekiel 32:7
    When I put out your light, I will cover the hea...
    Joel 2:31
    The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the ...
    Matthew 24:29
    Immediately after the tribulation of those days...
    Mark 13:24
    But in those days, after that tribulation, the ...
    Luke 21:25
    And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon...
  16. Cross References
    Isaiah 26:21
    For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.
  17. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:17
    The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 34:4
    All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.
    Isaiah 51:6
    Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.
    Haggai 2:6
    For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land.
  19. Cross References
    Psalms 110:5
    The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
    Lamentations 1:12
    Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, Which the LORD has inflicted In the day of His fierce anger.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:16
    Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.
    Jeremiah 51:9
    We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.
  21. Cross References
    Psalms 137:8
    O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,...
    Psalms 137:9
    Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ...
    Isaiah 13:18
    Also their bows will dash the young men to piec...
    Isaiah 14:21
    Prepare slaughter for his children Because of t...
    Hosea 10:14
    Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,...
    Nahum 3:10
    Yet she was carried away, She went into captivi...
  22. Cross References
    Zechariah 14:2
    For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
  23. Cross References
    Isaiah 21:2
    A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All its sighing I have made to cease.
    Jeremiah 51:11
    Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple.
    Jeremiah 51:28
    Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion.
    Daniel 5:28
    "PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."
    Daniel 5:31
    And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
  24. Cross References
    Isaiah 14:4
    That you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!
    Daniel 4:30
    The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?
    Revelation 18:11 - 16
    And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
    Revelation 18:19
    "They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'
    Revelation 18:21
    Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
  25. Cross References
    Genesis 19:24
    Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
    Deuteronomy 29:23
    'The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.'
    Jeremiah 50:40
    As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors," says the LORD, " So no one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.
    Amos 4:11
    I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
  26. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:3
    For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast.
  27. Cross References
    Isaiah 34:11 - 15
    But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.
    Zephaniah 2:14
    The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.
    Revelation 18:2
    And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
  28. Cross References
    Jeremiah 51:33
    For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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