1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.2 Lift up a banner upon a bare mountain, raise the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.3 I have commanded my hallowed ones, I have also called my mighty men for mine anger, them that rejoice in my highness.4 The noise of a multitude on the mountains, as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations assembled together: Jehovah of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.5 They come from a far country, from the end of the heavens-Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation-to destroy the whole land.6 Howl, for the day of Jehovah is at hand; it cometh as destruction from the Almighty.7 Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt,8 and they shall be terrified: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them, they shall writhe as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another, their faces shall be as flames.9 Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the earth desolate; and he will destroy the sinners thereof out of it.10 For the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.11 And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will make the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will bring low the haughtiness of the violent.12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even man than the gold of Ophir.13 Therefore I will make the heavens to shake, and the earth shall be removed out of her place, at the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.14 And it shall be as with a chased roe, and as with a flock that no man gathereth together; every one shall turn to his own people, and every one flee into his own land.15 All that are found shall be thrust through; and every one that is in league {with them} shall fall by the sword.16 And their infants shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes, their houses shall be rifled, and their women ravished.17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who do not regard silver, and as for gold, they have no delight in it.18 And {their} bows shall dash the young men to pieces, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb: their eye shall not spare children.19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in, even to generation and generation; nor shall Arabian pitch tent there, nor shepherds make fold there.21 But beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of owls; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.22 And jackals shall cry to one another in their palaces, and wild dogs in the pleasant castles. And her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

1 Godspraak oor Babel wat Jesaja, die seun van Amos, gesien het.2 Hef op 'n banier op 'n kaal berg; roep hulle hardop toe, wink met die hand, dat hulle kan intrek deur die poorte van die edeles.3 Ek self het my geheiligdes ontbied; ook het Ek my helde tot my toorn geroep, my manne wat jubel in trotsheid.4 Hoor, 'n gedruis op die berge soos van baie mense! Hoor, 'n rumoer van die koninkryke, van versamelde nasies! Die HERE van die leërskare hou wapenskouing oor 'n oorlogsleër.5 Hulle kom uit 'n ver land, van die einde van die hemel af, die HERE en die werktuie van sy grimmigheid, om die hele aarde te verwoes.6 Huil julle, want die dag van die HERE is naby; hy kom as 'n verwoesting van die Almagtige.7 Daarom word al die hande slap, en elke mensehart versmelt;8 en hulle is verskrik, kry krampe en weë; hulle krimp inmekaar soos een wat baar; die een kyk die ander verbaas aan; hulle gesigte is vlammende gesigte.9 Kyk, die dag van die HERE kom, verskriklik, met grimmigheid en toorngloed, om die aarde 'n woesteny te maak en sy sondaars daaruit te verdelg.10 Want die sterre van die hemel en sy Or¡ons sal hulle lig nie laat skyn nie; die son is duister by sy opgang, en die maan laat sy lig nie skyn nie.11 En Ek sal aan die wêreld sy boosheid besoek, en aan die goddelose hulle ongeregtigheid; en Ek sal die trots van die vermeteles laat ophou en die hoogmoed van tiranne verneder.12 En Ek sal sterwelinge skaarser maak as fyn goud, en mense as goud van Ofir.13 Daarom sal Ek die hemel laat sidder, en die aarde sal wyk uit sy plek met gebeef, vanweë die grimmigheid van die HERE van die leërskare en vanweë die dag van sy toorngloed.14 En soos 'n gemsbok wat gejaag word, en soos kleinvee wat niemand bymekaar maak nie, sal hulle elkeen draai na sy volk toe en elkeen vlug na sy land toe.15 Elkeen wat gevind word, word deurboor; en elkeen wat gegryp word, val deur die swaard.16 En hulle kinders word voor hul oë verpletter, hul huise geplunder en hul vroue onteer.17 Kyk, Ek verwek die Meders teen hulle, wat silwer nie ag nie en in goud geen behae het nie.18 Maar hulle boë sal die seuns neerwerp, en hulle sal hul nie ontferm oor die vrug van die moederskoot nie; hulle oog sal die kinders nie verskoon nie.19 So sal dan Babel, die sieraad van die koninkryke, die trotse pronkstuk van die Chaldeërs, wees soos toe God Sodom en Gomorra omgekeer het.20 Mense sal daar in ewigheid nie woon nie, en dit sal van geslag tot geslag nie bewoon word nie; en die Arabier sal daar geen tent opslaan nie, en geen herders sal hulle vee daar laat lê en rus nie.21 Maar daar sal boskatte lê, en hulle huise sal vol uile wees; en volstruise sal daar hou, en veldduiwels daar rondspring.22 En wildehonde sal huil in sy kastele en jakkalse in die vreugdepaleise; en naby is sy tyd om te kom, en sy dae sal nie verskuif word nie.