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Isaiah 13

A new section opens, headed "The burden of Babylon" — the first of Isaiah's oracles against the nations. The LORD of Armies musters an army from a far country, his "consecrated ones," to bring the day of the LORD as destruction from the Almighty. Read the cosmic language carefully: stars withholding light, the sun darkened, heavens trembling. Then verse 17 names the human agent — the Medes — and the chapter ends with Babylon left to jackals and ostriches, never again inhabited.

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Isaiah 13 (WEB)

1
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
2
Set up a banner on the bare mountain! Lift up your voice to them! Wave your hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3
I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.
4
The noise of a multitude is in the mountains, as of a great people; the noise of an uproar of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! The LORD of Armies is mustering the army for the battle.
5
They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
6
Wail, for the LORD’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7
Therefore all hands will be feeble, and everyone’s heart will melt.
8
They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
9
Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it.
10
For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.
11
I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible.
12
I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir.
13
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in the LORD of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger.
14
It will happen that like a hunted gazelle and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.
15
Everyone who is found will be thrust through. Everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16
Their infants also will be dashed in pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be ransacked, and their wives raped.
17
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18
Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
19
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20
It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
21
But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
22
Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.

Isaías 13 (RV1909)

1
CARGA de Babilonia, que vió Isaías, hijo de Amoz.
2
Levantad bandera sobre un alto monte; alzad la voz á ellos, alzad la mano, para que entren por puertas de príncipes.
3
Yo mandé á mis santificados, asimismo llamé á mis valientes para mi ira, á los que se alegran con mi gloria.
4
Murmullo de multitud en los montes, como de mucho pueblo; murmullo de ruido de reinos, de gentes reunidas: Jehová de los ejércitos ordena las tropas de la batalla.
5
Vienen de lejana tierra, de lo postrero de los cielos, Jehová y los instrumentos de su furor, para destruir toda la tierra.
6
Aullad, porque cerca está el día de Jehová; vendrá como asolamiento del Todopoderoso.
7
Por tanto, se enervarán todas la manos, y desleiráse todo corazón de hombre:
8
Y se llenarán de terror; angustias y dolores los comprenderán; tendrán dolores como mujer de parto; pasmaráse cada cual al mirar á su compañero; sus rostros, rostros de llamas.
9
He aquí el día de Jehová viene, crudo, y de saña y ardor de ira, para tornar la tierra en soledad, y raer de ella sus pecadores.
10
Por lo cual las estrellas de los cielos y sus luceros no derramarán su lumbre; y el sol se oscurecerá en naciendo, y la luna no echará su resplandor.
11
Y visitaré la maldad sobre el mundo, y sobre los impíos su iniquidad; y haré que cese la arrogancia de los soberbios, y abatiré la altivez de los fuertes.
12
Haré más precioso que el oro fino al varón, y más que el oro de Ophir al hombre.
13
Porque haré estremecer los cielos, y la tierra se moverá de su lugar, en la indignación de Jehová de los ejércitos, y en el día de la ira de su furor.
14
Y será que como corza amontada, y como oveja sin pastor, cada cual mirará hacia su pueblo, y cada uno huirá á su tierra.
15
Cualquiera que fuere hallado, será alanceado; y cualquiera que á ellos se juntare, caerá á cuchillo.
16
Sus niños serán estrellados delante de ellos; sus casas serán saqueadas, y forzadas sus mujeres.
17
He aquí que yo despierto contra ellos á los Medos, que no curarán de la plata, ni codiciarán oro.
18
Y con arcos tirarán á los niños, y no tendrán misericordia de fruto de vientre, ni su ojo perdonará á hijos.
19
Y Babilonia, hermosura de reinos y ornamento de la grandeza de los Caldeos, será como Sodoma y Gomorra, á las que trastornó Dios.
20
Nunca más será habitada, ni se morará en ella de generación en generación; ni hincará allí tienda el Arabe, ni pastores tendrán allí majada:
21
Sino que dormirán allí bestias fieras, y sus casas se llenarán de hurones, allí habitarán hijas del buho, y allí saltarán peludos.
22
Y en sus palacios gritarán gatos cervales, y chacales en sus casas de deleite: y abocado está á venir su tiempo, y sus días no se alargarán.

Babylon while Assyria still rules

The striking thing is the timing. In Isaiah's own day Assyria, not Babylon, was the superpower threatening Judah. This oracle looks past the present empire to one that would only later rise and fall, naming the Medes who would help topple it.

The closing picture — "the glory of kingdoms" reduced to a ruin like Sodom and Gomorrah, where only wild goats frolic — sets the pattern for every nation-oracle that follows: human grandeur is on a clock, and "her days will not be prolonged."

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