English / ERV
Isaiah 13
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this message[1] about Babylon:
- 2“Raise a flag on that mountain[2] where nothing grows. Call out to the men. Wave your arms to let them know they should enter through the gates for important leaders.
- 3“I have separated these men from the people, and I myself will command them. I have gathered these proud, happy soldiers of mine to show how angry I am.
- 4“Listen to that loud noise in the mountains. It sounds like crowds of people. People from many kingdoms are gathering together. The LORD All-Powerful is calling his army together.
- 5They are coming from a faraway land. They are coming from beyond the horizon. The LORD will use this army as a weapon to show his anger. They will destroy the whole country.”
- 6The LORD’s special day is near. So cry and be sad for yourselves. A time is coming when the enemy will steal your wealth. God All-Powerful will make that happen.[3]
- 7People will lose their courage. Fear will make them weak.
- 8Everyone will be afraid. They will stare at each other with shock on their faces. Fear will grip them like the pains of a woman in childbirth.
- 9Look, the LORD’s special day is coming! It will be a terrible day. God will be very angry. He will destroy the country and wipe out the sinful people who live there.
- 10The skies will be dark. The sun, the moon, and the stars will not shine.
- 11The Lord says, “I will cause bad things to happen to the world. I will punish the evil people for their sin. I will make proud people lose their pride. I will stop the bragging of cruel people.
- 12There will be only a few people left. They will be as rare as pure gold.