Die Propheten
The Judgment on Babylon
Isaiah receives a vision concerning the Lord's judgment on Babylon. The Lord musters an army from distant lands, stirs up the Medes against the city, and announces the day of the Lord with burning wrath. Babylon, the pride of kingdoms, will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah and never inhabited again.
Jesaja 13,1-22
1An oracle concerning Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz saw.
מַשָּׂ֖א בָּבֶ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמֽוֹץ׃
2Raise a banner on a bare mountain, lift your voice to them, wave them on to enter the gates of the nobles.
עַ֤ל הַר־נִשְׁפֶּה֙ שְֽׂאוּ־נֵ֔ס הָרִ֥ימוּ ק֖וֹל לָהֶ֑ם הָנִ֣יפוּ יָ֔ד וְיָבֹ֖אוּ פִּתְחֵ֥י נְדִיבִֽים׃
3I myself have given the command; I have summoned my consecrated ones, my warriors, to carry out my anger—those who exult in my triumph.
אֲנִ֥י צִוֵּ֖יתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁ֑י גַּ֣ם קָרָ֤אתִי גִבּוֹרַי֙ לְאַפִּ֔י עַלִּיזֵ֖י גַּאֲוָתִֽי׃
4Listen: an uproar on the mountains, like that of a vast multitude! Listen: the roar of kingdoms, of nations gathering! The LORD of hosts is mustering an army for battle.
ק֥וֹל הָמ֛וֹן בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים דְּמ֣וּת עַם־רָ֑ב ק֠וֹל שְׁא֞וֹן מַמְלְכ֤וֹת גּוֹיִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת מְפַקֵּ֖ד צְבָ֥א מִלְחָמָֽה׃
5They come from a distant land, from the ends of the heavens—the LORD and the weapons of his wrath—to destroy the whole earth.
בָּאִ֛ים מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק מִקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יְהוָה֙ וּכְלֵ֣י זַעְמ֔וֹ לְחַבֵּ֖ל כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
6Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it comes like devastation from the Almighty.
הֵילִ֕ילוּ כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה כְּשֹׁ֖ד מִשַׁדַּ֥י יָבֽוֹא׃
7Therefore every hand goes limp, and every human heart melts away.
עַל־כֵּ֖ן כָּל־יָדַ֣יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־לְבַ֥ב אֱנ֖וֹשׁ יִמָּס׃
8They are terrified; pangs and pains seize them, they writhe like a woman in labor. They stare at one another aghast, their faces aflame.
וְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ ׀ צִירִ֤ים וַֽחֲבָלִים֙ יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֖ה יְחִיל֑וּן אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יִתְמָ֔הוּ פְּנֵ֥י לְהָבִ֖ים פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
9See, the day of the LORD is coming—cruel, with fury and burning anger—to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it.
הִנֵּ֤ה יוֹם־יְהוָה֙ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן אָ֑ף לָשׂ֤וּם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ יַשְׁמִ֥יד מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light.
כִּֽי־כוֹכְבֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יָהֵ֖לּוּ אוֹרָ֑ם חָשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בְּצֵאת֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖חַ לֹֽא־יַגִּ֥יהַ אוֹרֽוֹ׃
11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their guilt. I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of tyrants.
וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עַל־תֵּבֵל֙ רָעָ֔ה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִ֖ים עֲוֺנָ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּא֣וֹן זֵדִ֔ים וְגַאֲוַ֥ת עָרִיצִ֖ים אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃
12I will make people scarcer than fine gold, humankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.
אוֹקִ֥יר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִפָּ֑ז וְאָדָ֖ם מִכֶּ֥תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃
13Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts, on the day of his burning anger.
עַל־כֵּן֙ שָׁמַ֣יִם אַרְגִּ֔יז וְתִרְעַ֥שׁ הָאָ֖רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ בְּעֶבְרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבְי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃
14Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep with no one to gather them, each will turn back to his own people, each will flee to his own land.
וְהָיָה֙ כִּצְבִ֣י מֻדָּ֔ח וּכְצֹ֖אן וְאֵ֣ין מְקַבֵּ֑ץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֽוּסוּ׃
15Whoever is found will be run through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
כָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֖א יִדָּקֵ֑ר וְכָל־הַנִּסְפֶּ֖ה יִפּ֥וֹל בֶּחָֽרֶב׃
16Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives violated.
וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֥ם יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם יִשַּׁ֙סּוּ֙ בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֔ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם *תשגלנה **תִּשָּׁכַֽבְנָה׃
17See, I am stirring up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and take no delight in gold.
הִנְנִ֛י מֵעִ֥יר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לֹ֣א יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ וְזָהָ֖ב לֹ֥א יַחְפְּצוּ־בֽוֹ׃
18Their bows will strike down the young men; they will show no mercy to the fruit of the womb, and their eyes will not spare the children.
וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת נְעָרִ֣ים תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶ֙טֶן֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ עַל־בָּנִ֖ים לֹֽא־תָח֥וּס עֵינָֽם׃
19Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory and pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
וְהָיְתָ֤ה בָבֶל֙ צְבִ֣י מַמְלָכ֔וֹת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּא֣וֹן כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־סְדֹ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָֽה׃
20It will never be inhabited again or lived in through all generations. No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will let his flock rest there.
לֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן עַד־דּ֣וֹר וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃
21But desert creatures will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling beasts; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will leap about.
וְרָבְצוּ־שָׁ֣ם צִיִּ֔ים וּמָלְא֥וּ בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם אֹחִ֑ים וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ שָׁם֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֔ה וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָֽׁם׃
22Hyenas will cry out in its strongholds, jackals in its luxurious palaces. Its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged.
וְעָנָ֤ה אִיִּים֙ בְּאַלְמנוֹתָ֔יו וְתַנִּ֖ים בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי עֹ֑נֶג וְקָר֤וֹב לָבוֹא֙ עִתָּ֔הּ וְיָמֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א יִמָּשֵֽׁכוּ׃