THE FALL OF BABYLON

Passage: Isaiah 13:1-22

Key verse: 19

NIV

A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecy(A) against Babylon(B) that Isaiah son of Amoz(C) saw:(D)

2 Raise a banner(E) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates(F) of the nobles.
3 I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors(G) to carry out my wrath(H)—
    those who rejoice(I) in my triumph.

4 Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!(J)
Listen, an uproar(K) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty(L) is mustering(M)
    an army for war.
5 They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens(N)—
the Lord and the weapons(O) of his wrath(P)—
    to destroy(Q) the whole country.

6 Wail,(R) for the day(S) of the Lord is near;
    it will come like destruction(T) from the Almighty.[a](U)
7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,(V)
    every heart will melt with fear.(W)
8 Terror(X) will seize them,
    pain and anguish will grip(Y) them;
    they will writhe like a woman in labor.(Z)
They will look aghast at each other,
    their faces aflame.(AA)

9 See, the day(AB) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel(AC) day, with wrath(AD) and fierce anger(AE)—
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.(AF)
The rising sun(AG) will be darkened(AH)
    and the moon will not give its light.(AI)
11 I will punish(AJ) the world for its evil,
    the wicked(AK) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty(AL)
    and will humble(AM) the pride of the ruthless.(AN)
12 I will make people(AO) scarcer than pure gold,
    more rare than the gold of Ophir.(AP)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;(AQ)
    and the earth will shake(AR) from its place
at the wrath(AS) of the Lord Almighty,
    in the day of his burning anger.(AT)

14 Like a hunted(AU) gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd,(AV)
they will all return to their own people,
    they will flee(AW) to their native land.(AX)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall(AY) by the sword.(AZ)
16 Their infants(BA) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.(BB)

17 See, I will stir up(BC) against them the Medes,(BD)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.(BE)
18 Their bows(BF) will strike down the young men;(BG)
    they will have no mercy(BH) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.(BI)
19 Babylon,(BJ) the jewel of kingdoms,(BK)
    the pride and glory(BL) of the Babylonians,[b]
will be overthrown(BM) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.(BN)
20 She will never be inhabited(BO)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads(BP) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
21 But desert creatures(BQ) will lie there,
    jackals(BR) will fill her houses;
there the owls(BS) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats(BT) will leap about.
22 Hyenas(BU) will inhabit her strongholds,(BV)
    jackals(BW) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,(BX)
    and her days will not be prolonged.(BY)

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Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 13:6 Hebrew Shaddai
  2. Isaiah 13:19 Or Chaldeans
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Judgment of Babylon

13 The oracle concerning (A)Babylon which (B)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

2 On a bare hill (C)raise a signal;
    cry aloud to them;
wave the hand for (D)them to enter
    the gates of the nobles.
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,
    and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,
    my proudly exulting ones.[a]

4 The sound (E)of a tumult is on the mountains
    as of a great multitude!
The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
    of nations gathering together!
(F)The Lord of hosts is mustering
    a host for battle.
5 (G)They come from a distant land,
    from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
    to destroy the whole land.[b]

6 (H)Wail, for (I)the day of the Lord is near;
    as destruction from the Almighty[c] it will come!
7 Therefore all hands will be feeble,
    and every human heart (J)will melt.
8 They will be dismayed:
    (K)pangs and agony will seize them;
    (L)they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.
They will look aghast at one another;
    their faces will be aflame.

9 Behold, (M)the day of the Lord comes,
    cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
    and (N)to destroy its sinners from it.
10 (O)For the stars of the heavens and their constellations
    will not give their light;
(P)the sun will be dark at its rising,
    and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish (Q)the world for its evil,
    and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will (R)put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
    (S)and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make (T)people more rare than fine gold,
    and mankind than the (U)gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore (V)I will make the heavens tremble,
    and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
at the wrath of the Lord of hosts
    in the day of his fierce anger.
14 And like a hunted gazelle,
    or like sheep with none to gather them,
(W)each will turn to his own people,
    and each will flee to his own land.
15 Whoever is found will be thrust through,
    and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
16 (X)Their infants will be dashed in pieces
    before their eyes;
their houses will be plundered
    and their wives ravished.

17 Behold, (Y)I am stirring up the Medes against them,
    who have no regard for silver
    and do not delight in gold.
18 (Z)Their bows will slaughter[d] the young men;
    they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;
    their eyes will not pity children.
19 And Babylon, (AA)the glory of kingdoms,
    the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans,
will be (AB)like Sodom and Gomorrah
    when God overthrew them.
20 (AC)It will never be inhabited
    or lived in for all generations;
no (AD)Arab will pitch his tent there;
    no (AE)shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
21 But (AF)wild animals will lie down there,
    and their houses will be full of howling creatures;
there (AG)ostriches[e] will dwell,
    and there wild goats will dance.
22 Hyenas[f] will cry in its towers,
    and (AH)jackals in (AI)the pleasant palaces;
its time is close at hand
    and its days will not be prolonged.

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Footnotes
  1. Isaiah 13:3 Or those who exult in my majesty
  2. Isaiah 13:5 Or earth; also verse 9
  3. Isaiah 13:6 The Hebrew words for destruction and almighty sound alike
  4. Isaiah 13:18 Hebrew dash in pieces
  5. Isaiah 13:21 Or owls
  6. Isaiah 13:22 Or foxes
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Babylon was the conqueror of nations and the oppressor of God’s people. Proud, ruthless, and ungodly, they would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and put God’s people into captivity. In Babylon’s own eyes, they seemed invincible and unaccountable to anyone. God, however, would not let wickedness reign. No man or woman, political group, or even religious system is above God. God’s wrath against wickedness is thorough and unwavering.

God works in mysterious ways. Another empire would overthrow Babylon, and it would continue to rule over others in wicked ways until it, too, was conquered. Wicked people can even make hell for other wicked people. Eventually, God would intervene in a way that no, man-made institution could accomplish by sending his own son. His son would not come to destroy but to be destroyed by wickedness and to rise again in glory. God is about new life, even in the midst of wickedness. His love and mercy extend to all who are oppressed.

Prayer: Lord, you do not let wickedness thrive forever. You destroy any and every evil empire and give hope and new life to all who are oppressed.

One Word: The LORD reigns on high.