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¹ THE prophecy concerning the fall of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.² Lift up a banner on high mountains, raise the voice to them, wave the hand, that they may enter the gates of the princes.³ I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have called the mighty ones in my anger, even them that became strong with my excellency.⁴ The noise of tumult on the mountains, like as of many peoples; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the LORD of hosts is performing wonders.⁵ Warriors are coming from afar, and from the end of heaven, even the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

⁶ Howl; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a plunder which is made suddenly.⁷ Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every mans heart shall melt;⁸ And they shall be afraid; terror and pangs shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.⁹ Behold, the day of the LORD comes, which has no remedy, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and their constellations shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its rising, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.¹¹ And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will bring low the haughtiness of the mighty.¹² I will make a man more precious than gold; even a man than the gold of Ophir.¹³ Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be moved out of its place, in the rebuke of the LORD of hosts, in the day of his fierce anger.¹⁴ And they shall be like gazelles when they flee, and like sheep that have no one to gather them; every man shall turn to his own people, and every one flee to his own land.¹⁵ Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that escapes shall fall by the sword.¹⁶ Their children, shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished.¹⁷ Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver, and have no delight in gold.¹⁸ The bows of young men shall be broken in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.

¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of the kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.²⁰ It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabians encamp there; neither shall the shepherds make their folds there.²¹ But wild beasts shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.²² And the screech-owls shall cry in their palaces, and jackals in their pleasant temples; its time is soon to come, and its days shall not be prolonged.