The Day Babylon's Lights Went Out.

מַשָּׂ֖א בָּבֶ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמֽוֹץ׃

The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

עַ֤ל הַר־נִשְׁפֶּה֙ שְֽׂאוּ־נֵ֔ס הָרִ֥ימוּ ק֖וֹל לָהֶ֑ם הָנִ֣יפוּ יָ֔ד וְיָבֹ֖אוּ פִּתְחֵ֥י נְדִיבִֽים׃

[2] On a bare hill raise a signal; cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.

אֲנִ֥י צִוֵּ֖יתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁ֑י גַּ֣ם קָרָ֤אתִי גִבּוֹרַי֙ לְאַפִּ֔י עַלִּיזֵ֖י גַּאֲוָתִֽי׃

[3] I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.

ק֥וֹל הָמ֛וֹן בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים דְּמ֣וּת עַם־רָ֑ב ק֠וֹל שְׁא֞וֹן מַמְלְכ֤וֹת גּוֹיִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת מְפַקֵּ֖ד צְבָ֥א מִלְחָמָֽה׃

[4] The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle.

בָּאִ֛ים מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק מִקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יְהוָה֙ וּכְלֵ֣י זַעְמ֔וֹ לְחַבֵּ֖ל כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

[5] 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.

הֵילִ֕ילוּ כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה כְּשֹׁ֖ד מִשַּׁדַּ֥י יָבֽוֹא׃

[6] Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

עַל־כֵּ֖ן כָּל־יָדַ֣יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־לְבַ֥ב אֱנ֖וֹשׁ יִמָּֽס׃

[7] Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt.

וְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ׀ צִירִ֤ים וַֽחֲבָלִים֙ יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֖ה יְחִיל֑וּן אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יִתְמָ֔הוּ פְּנֵ֥י לְהָבִ֖ים פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

[8] They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

הִנֵּ֤ה יוֹם־יְהוָה֙ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן אָ֑ף לָשׂ֤וּם הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ יַשְׁמִ֥יד מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

[9] Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

כִּֽי־כוֹכְבֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יָהֵ֖לּוּ אוֹרָ֑ם חָשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בְּצֵאת֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖חַ לֹֽא־יַגִּ֥יהַ אוֹרֽוֹ׃

[10] For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.

וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עַל־תֵּבֵל֙ רָעָ֔ה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִ֖ים עֲוֺנָ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּא֣וֹן זֵדִ֔ים וְגַאֲוַ֥ת עָרִיצִ֖ים אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃

[11] I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

אוֹקִ֥יר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִפָּ֑ז וְאָדָ֖ם מִכֶּ֥תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃

[12] I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.

עַל־כֵּן֙ שָׁמַ֣יִם אַרְגִּ֔יז וְתִרְעַ֥שׁ הָאָ֖רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ בְּעֶבְרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבְי֖וֹם חֲר֥וֹן אַפּֽוֹ׃

[13] Therefore 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.

וְהָיָה֙ כִּצְבִ֣י מֻדָּ֔ח וּכְצֹ֖אן וְאֵ֣ין מְקַבֵּ֑ץ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ֙ יִפְנ֔וּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אַרְצ֖וֹ יָנֽוּסוּ׃

[14] And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.

כָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֖א יִדָּקֵ֑ר וְכָל־הַנִּסְפֶּ֖ה יִפּ֥וֹל בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

[15] Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.

וְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֥ם יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם יִשַּׁ֙סּוּ֙ בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֔ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם ׳תִּשָּׁגַלְנָה׳ ״תִּשָּׁכַֽבְנָה׃״

[16] Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.

הִנְנִ֛י מֵעִ֥יר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לֹ֣א יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ וְזָהָ֖ב לֹ֥א יַחְפְּצוּ־בֽוֹ׃

[17] Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.

וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת נְעָרִ֣ים תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶ֙טֶן֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ עַל־בָּנִ֖ים לֹֽא־תָח֥וּס עֵינָֽם׃

[18] Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children.

וְהָיְתָ֤ה בָבֶל֙ צְבִ֣י מַמְלָכ֔וֹת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּא֣וֹן כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־סְדֹ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָֽה׃

[19] And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

לֹֽא־תֵשֵׁ֣ב לָנֶ֔צַח וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁכֹּ֖ן עַד־דּ֣וֹר וָד֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יַהֵ֥ל שָׁם֙ עֲרָבִ֔י וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃

[20] It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.

וְרָבְצוּ־שָׁ֣ם צִיִּ֔ים וּמָלְא֥וּ בָתֵּיהֶ֖ם אֹחִ֑ים וְשָׁ֤כְנוּ שָׁם֙ בְּנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֔ה וּשְׂעִירִ֖ים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָֽׁם׃

[21] But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.

וְעָנָ֤ה אִיִּים֙ בְּאַלְמנוֹתָ֔יו וְתַנִּ֖ים בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי עֹ֑נֶג וְקָר֤וֹב לָבוֹא֙ עִתָּ֔הּ וְיָמֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א יִמָּשֵֽׁכוּ׃

[22] Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.