(KJV) Isaiah 131

<< Isaiah 12 Isaiah 14 >>

⥃The Burden against Babylon

[1] The burden2 of Babylon3, which Isaiah4 the son of Amoz did see.5 [2] Lift ye up6 a banner upon the high7 mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake8 the hand, that they may go into9 the gates of the nobles. [3] I have commanded10 my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones11 for mine anger, [even] them that12 rejoice in my highness. [4] The noise13 of a multitude in the mountains, like as14 of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord15 of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. [5] They come from a far16 country, from the end of heaven, [even] the Lord, and the weapons17 of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

[6] Howl ye18; for the day19 of the Lord [is] at hand; it shall come as a20 destruction from the Almighty. [7] Therefore shall all21 hands be faint22, and every23 man’s heart shall melt: [8] And they shall be afraid: pangs24 and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another25; their faces [shall be as] flames26. [9] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel27 both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall28 destroy the sinners thereof out of it. [10] For the stars of heaven 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.29 [11] And I will punish30 the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause31 the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. [12] I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.32 [13] Therefore I will33 shake the heavens, and the earth34 shall remove out of her place, in the wrath35 of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. [14] And it shall be as the36 chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall37 every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. [15] Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword.38 [16] Their children39 also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their40 wives ravished. [17] Behold, I will41 stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard42 silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it. [18] [Their] bows also shall dash43 the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye44 shall not spare children.

[19] And Babylon45, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew46 Sodom and Gomorrah. [20] It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.47 [21] But48 wild beasts49 of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures50; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. [22] And the wild beasts51 of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses52, and dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and her time53 [is] near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

<< Isaiah 12 Isaiah 14 >>

  1. Isa 13:1, God musters the armies of his wrath; Isa 13:6, He threatens to destroy Babylon by the Medes; Isa 13:19, The desolation of Babylon. ↩

  2. Isa 14:28, Isa 15:1, Isa 17:1, Isa 19:1, Isa 21:1, Isa 21:11, Isa 21:13, Isa 22:1, Isa 22:25, Isa 23:1; Jer 23:33-38; Ezek 12:10; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1; Zech 9:1, Zech 12:1; Mal 1:1 ↩

  3. Isa 14:4-23, Isa 21:1-10, Isa 43:14, Isa 44:1-2, Isa 47:1-15; Jer 25:12-26, 50:1-51:23; Dan. 5:28-6:28; Rev. 17:1-18:24 ↩

  4. Isa 1:1 ↩

  5. am 3292, bc 712 ↩

  6. Isa 5:26, Isa 11:12, Isa 18:3; Jer 50:2, Jer 51:27-28 ↩

  7. Jer 51:25 ↩

  8. Isa 10:32, Isa 11:15 ↩

  9. Isa 45:1-3; Jer 51:58 ↩

  10. Isa 23:11, Isa 44:27-28, Isa 45:4-5; Jer 50:21-46 ↩

  11. Jer 51:20-24; Joel 3:11; Rev 17:12-18 ↩

  12. Ezra 1:1-11, Ezra 6:1-22, Ezra 7:12-26; Ps 149:2, Ps 149:5-9; Rev 18:4-8, Rev 18:20-24, Rev 19:1-7 ↩

  13. Isa 22:1-9; Jer 50:2-3, Jer 50:21-46, Jer 51:11, Jer 51:27-28; Ezek 38:3-23; Joel 3:14; Zech 14:1-3, Zech 14:13-14; Rev 19:11-21 ↩

  14. Heb. the likeness of, Joel 2:4-11; Rev 9:7-19 ↩

  15. Isa 10:5-6, Isa 45:1-2; Jer 50:14-15, Jer 51:6-25; Joel 2:1-11, Joel 2:25; Rev 18:8 ↩

  16. Isa 13:17; Jer 50:3, Jer 50:9, Jer 51:11, Jer 51:27-28; Matt 24:31 ↩

  17. Jer 51:20-46 ↩

  18. Isa 14:31, Isa 23:1, Isa 52:5, Isa 65:14; Jer 25:34, Jer 49:3, Jer 51:8; Ezek 21:12, Ezek 30:2; Joel 1:5, Joel 1:11, Joel 1:13; Zeph 1:14; Jas 5:1; Rev 18:10 ↩

  19. Isa 13:9, Isa 34:8; Ezek 30:3; Joel 2:11, Joel 2:31; Amos 5:18; Zeph 1:7, Zeph 2:2-3; Mal 4:5; 1Thess 5:2-3 ↩

  20. Job 31:23; Joel 1:15 ↩

  21. Isa 10:3-4, Isa 37:27, Isa 51:20; Jer 50:43; Ezek 7:17, Ezek 21:7; Nah 1:6 ↩

  22. or, fall down ↩

  23. Isa 19:1; Exod 15:15; Nah 2:10 ↩

  24. Isa 21:3-4, Isa 26:17; Ps 48:5-6; Jer 30:6, Jer 50:43; Dan 5:5-6; 1Thess 5:3 ↩

  25. Heb. wonder every man at his neighbour ↩

  26. Heb. faces of the flames, Joel 2:6; Nah 2:10 ↩

  27. Isa 13:15-18, Isa 47:10-15; Jer 6:22-23, Jer 50:40-42, Jer 51:35-58; Nah 1:2, Nah 1:6; Mal 4:1; Rev 17:16-17, Rev 18:8, Rev 19:17-21 ↩

  28. Ps 104:35; Prov 2:22 ↩

  29. Isa 5:30, Isa 24:21, Isa 24:23; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:10, Joel 2:31, Joel 3:15; Amos 8:9-10; Zeph 1:15-16; Matt 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Rev 6:12-14, Rev 8:12 ↩

  30. Isa 14:21, Isa 24:4-6; Jer 51:34-38; Rev 12:9-10, Rev 18:2-3 ↩

  31. Isa 2:17, Isa 5:15, Isa 14:12-16; Jer 50:29-32; Dan 5:22-23 ↩

  32. Isa 13:15-18, Isa 4:1, Isa 24:6; Ps 137:9 ↩

  33. Joel 3:16; Hag 2:6-7, Hag 2:21-22; Matt 24:29; Heb 12:26-27; Rev 6:13-14 ↩

  34. Jer 4:23-24; Matt 24:35; 2Pet 3:10; Rev 20:11 ↩

  35. Ps 110:5-6; Lam 1:12; Nah 1:4-6 ↩

  36. Isa 17:13; 1Kgs 22:17, 1Kgs 22:36 ↩

  37. Isa 47:15; Jer 50:16, Jer 51:9; Rev 18:9-10 ↩

  38. Isa 14:19-22, Isa 47:9-14; Jer 50:27, Jer 50:35-42, Jer 51:3 ↩

  39. Ps 137:8-9; Hos 10:14; Nah 3:10 ↩

  40. Lam 5:11; Zech 14:2 ↩

  41. Isa 13:3-5, Isa 21:2, Isa 41:25; Jer 50:9, Jer 51:11, Jer 51:27-28; Dan 5:28-31 ↩

  42. Prov 6:34-35 ↩

  43. Isa 13:16; 2Kgs 8:12; Hos 13:16; Nah 2:1, Nah 3:10 ↩

  44. 2Chr 36:17; Ezek 9:5-6, Ezek 9:10 ↩

  45. Babylon, whose destruction and utter ruin are here predicted, was situated in the midst of a large plain, having a very deep and fruitful soil, on the Euphrates, about 252 miles south-east of Palmyra, and the same distance north-west of Susa and the Persian gulf, in lat. 32 degrees 30 minutes n and long. 44 degrees 20 minutes e. According to Herodotus, it formed a perfect square, each side of which was 120 stadia, and consequently its circumference 480 stadia, or sixty miles; inclosed by a wall 200 cubits high, and fifty wide, on the top of which were small watch towers of one story high, leaving a space between them, through which a chariot and four might pass and turn. On each side were twenty-five gates of solid brass; from each of which proceeded a street, 150 feet broad, making in all fifty streets; which, crossing each other at right angles, intersected the city into 676 squares, extending four stadia and a half on each side, along which stood the houses, all built three or four stories high, and highly decorated towards the street; the interior of these squares being employed as gardens, pleasure grounds, etc. Its principal ornaments were the temple of Belus, having a tower of eight stories, upon a base of a quarter of a mile square; a most magnificent palace; and the famous hanging gardens, or artificial mountains raised upon arches, and planted with large and beautiful trees. Cyrus took it by diverting the waters of the Euphrates, which ran through the midst, and entering by the channel; and the river being never restored to its proper course, overflowed the whole country, and made it a morass. Darius Hystaspes afterwards depopulated the place, lowered the walls, and demolished the gates; Xerxes destroyed the temples; the building of Seleucia nearly exhausted it of its inhabitants; a king of the Parthians carried a number of them into slavery, and destroyed the most beautiful parts; so that modern travellers describe it as a mass of shapeless ruins, the habitation of wild beasts. Isa 14:4-6, Isa 14:12-15; Jer 51:41; Dan 2:37-38, Dan 4:30 ↩

  46. Heb. the overthrowing of, Gen 19:24; Deut 29:23; Jer 49:18, Jer 50:40; Zeph 2:9 ↩

  47. Isa 14:23; Jer 50:3, Jer 50:13, Jer 50:21, Jer 50:39, Jer 50:45, Jer 51:25, Jer 51:29, Jer 51:43, Jer 51:62-64; Rev 18:21-23 ↩

  48. Isa 34:11-15; Rev 18:2 ↩

  49. Heb. Ziim ↩

  50. Heb. Ochim, owls. or, ostriches. Heb. daughters of the owl. ↩

  51. Heb. Iim ↩

  52. or, palaces, dragons. Isa 35:7 ↩

  53. Deut 32:35; Jer 51:33; Ezek 7:7-10; Hab 2:3; 2Pet 2:3, 2Pet 3:9-10 ↩