Study Desk

The ^[a](a)oracle concerning ^(b)Babylon which ^(c)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

^(d)Lift up a standard on the ^[b](e)bare hill, Raise your voice to them, ^(f)Wave the hand that they may ^(g)enter the doors of the nobles.

I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My ^(h)mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, To execute My anger.

A ⁽ⁱ⁾sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle.

They are coming from a far country, From the ^[c](j)farthest horizons, The Lord and His instruments of ^(k)indignation, To ^(l)destroy the whole land.

Wail, for the ^(m)day of the Lord is near! It will come as ⁽ⁿ⁾destruction from ^[d]the Almighty.

Therefore ^(o)all hands will fall limp, And every man's ^(p)heart will melt.

They will be ^(q)terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will ^(r)writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.

Behold, ^(s)the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.

For the ^(t)stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The ^(u)sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.

Thus I will ^(v)punish the world for its evil And the ^(w)wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the ^(x)arrogance of the proud And abase the ^(y)haughtiness of the ^[e](z)ruthless.

I will make mortal man ^[f](aa)scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the ^(ab)gold of Ophir.

Therefore I will make the ^(ac)heavens tremble, And ^(ad)the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In ^(ae)the day of His burning anger.

And it will be that like a hunted gazelle, Or like ^(af)sheep with none to gather them, They will each turn to his own people, And each one flee to his own land.

Anyone who is found will be ^(ag)thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.

Their ^(ah)little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished.

Behold, I am going to ^(ai)stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or ^(aj)take pleasure in gold.

And their bows will ^[g]mow down the ^(ak)young men, They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, Nor will their ^(al)eye pity ^[h]children.

And ^(am)Babylon, the ^(an)beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God ^(ao)overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

It will ^(ap)never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the ^(aq)Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

But ^(ar)desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of ^[i]owls; Ostriches also will live there, and ^[j]shaggy goats will frolic there.

^[k]Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious ^(as)palaces. Her fateful time also ^[l]will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.