TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 13

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1The “Babylon” Pronouncement, a prophecy of Yeshayahu son of Amotz.

אמַשָּׂא בָּבֶל אֲשֶׁר חָזָה יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶּן־אָמוֹץ׃

2“Raise a standard upon a bare hill, Cry aloud to them; Wave a hand, and let them enter The gates of the nobles!

AL har nish-PEH s'-u NAYS ha-REE-mu KOL la-HEM ha-NEE-fu YAD v'-ya-VO-u pit-KHAY n'-dee-VEEM

בעַל הַר־נִשְׁפֶּה שְׂאוּ־נֵס הָרִימוּ קוֹל לָהֶם הָנִיפוּ יָד וְיָבֹאוּ פִּתְחֵי נְדִיבִים׃

 13:2   Raise a standard upon a bare hill

Yeshayahu begins a series of prophecies against the nations (chapters 13-23) with a message to Babylon. He calls on Hashem’s army to assemble on a mountaintop against the Babylonians. The word that describes the mountain is nishpeh (נשפה), which means ‘bare.’ The selected mountaintop is bare and empty of trees — most likely so that the nays (נס), the ‘standard’ or signal for the warriors to gather, might be better seen from it. Yeshayahu contrasts the barren mountain of Babylon (which means ‘gates of gods’ in Ugaritic) with the genuine mountain of Hashem in Yerushalayim described in chapter 2, which is the source of knowledge and righteousness for the world.

3I have summoned My purified guests To execute My wrath; Behold, I have called My stalwarts, My proudly exultant ones.”

גאֲנִי צִוֵּיתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁי גַּם קָרָאתִי גִבּוֹרַי לְאַפִּי עַלִּיזֵי גַּאֲוָתִי׃

4Hark! a tumult on the mountains— As of a mighty force; Hark! an uproar of kingdoms, Nations assembling! the lord of Hosts is mustering A host for war.

דקוֹל הָמוֹן בֶּהָרִים דְּמוּת עַם־רָב קוֹל שְׁאוֹן מַמְלְכוֹת גּוֹיִם נֶאֱסָפִים יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת מְפַקֵּד צְבָא מִלְחָמָה׃

5They come from a distant land, From the end of the sky— Hashem with the weapons of His wrath— To ravage all the earth!

הבָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָק מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם יְהֹוָה וּכְלֵי זַעְמוֹ לְחַבֵּל כָּל־הָאָרֶץ׃

6Howl! For the day of Hashem is near; It shall come like havoc from Shaddai.

והֵילִילוּ כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם יְהֹוָה כְּשֹׁד מִשַּׁדַּי יָבוֹא׃

7Therefore all hands shall grow limp, And all men's hearts shall sink;

זעַל־כֵּן כָּל־יָדַיִם תִּרְפֶּינָה וְכָל־לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִמָּס׃

8And, overcome by terror, They shall be seized by pangs and throes, Writhe like a woman in travail. They shall gaze at each other in horror, Their faces livid with fright.

חוְנִבְהָלוּ צִירִים וַחֲבָלִים יֹאחֵזוּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָה יְחִילוּן אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ יִתְמָהוּ פְּנֵי לְהָבִים פְּנֵיהֶם׃

9Lo! The day of Hashem is coming With pitiless fury and wrath, To make the earth a desolation, To wipe out the sinners upon it.

טהִנֵּה יוֹם־יְהֹוָה בָּא אַכְזָרִי וְעֶבְרָה וַחֲרוֹן אָף לָשׂוּם הָאָרֶץ לְשַׁמָּה וְחַטָּאֶיהָ יַשְׁמִיד מִמֶּנָּה׃

10The stars and constellations of heaven Shall not give off their light; The sun shall be dark when it rises, And the moon shall diffuse no glow.

יכִּי־כוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וּכְסִילֵיהֶם לֹא יָהֵלּוּ אוֹרָם חָשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בְּצֵאתוֹ וְיָרֵחַ לֹא־יַגִּיהַ אוֹרוֹ׃

11“And I will requite to the world its evil, And to the wicked their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant And humble the haughtiness of tyrants.

יאוּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־תֵּבֵל רָעָה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִים עֲוׂנָם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי גְּאוֹן זֵדִים וְגַאֲוַת עָרִיצִים אַשְׁפִּיל׃

12I will make people scarcer than fine gold, And men than gold of Ophir.”

יבאוֹקִיר אֱנוֹשׁ מִפָּז וְאָדָם מִכֶּתֶם אוֹפִיר׃

13Therefore shall heaven be shaken, And earth leap out of its place, At the fury of the lord of Hosts On the day of His burning wrath.

יגעַל־כֵּן שָׁמַיִם אַרְגִּיז וְתִרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ בְּעֶבְרַת יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וּבְיוֹם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ׃

14Then like gazelles that are chased, And like sheep that no man gathers, Each man shall turn back to his people, They shall flee every one to his land.

ידוְהָיָה כִּצְבִי מֻדָּח וּכְצֹאן וְאֵין מְקַבֵּץ אִישׁ אֶל־עַמּוֹ יִפְנוּ וְאִישׁ אֶל־אַרְצוֹ יָנוּסוּ׃

15All who remain shall be pierced through, All who are caught Shall fall by the sword.

טוכָּל־הַנִּמְצָא יִדָּקֵר וְכָל־הַנִּסְפֶּה יִפּוֹל בֶּחָרֶב׃

16And their babes shall be dashed to pieces in their sight, Their homes shall be plundered, And their wives shall be raped.

טזוְעֹלְלֵיהֶם יְרֻטְּשׁוּ לְעֵינֵיהֶם יִשַּׁסּוּ בָּתֵּיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם תשגלנה [תִּשָּׁכַבְנָה׃]

17“Behold, I stir up the Medes against them, Who do not value silver Or delight in gold.

יזהִנְנִי מֵעִיר עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־מָדָי אֲשֶׁר־כֶּסֶף לֹא יַחְשֹׁבוּ וְזָהָב לֹא יַחְפְּצוּ־בוֹ׃

18Their bows shall shatter the young; They shall show no pity to infants, They shall not spare the children.”

יחוּקְשָׁתוֹת נְעָרִים תְּרַטַּשְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶטֶן לֹא יְרַחֵמוּ עַל־בָּנִים לֹא־תָחוּס עֵינָם׃

19And Babylon, glory of kingdoms, Proud splendor of the Chaldeans, Shall become like Sodom and Gomorrah Overturned by Hashem.

יטוְהָיְתָה בָבֶל צְבִי מַמְלָכוֹת תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּאוֹן כַּשְׂדִּים כְּמַהְפֵּכַת אֱלֹהִים אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה׃

20Nevermore shall it be settled Nor dwelt in through all the ages. No Arab shall pitch his tent there, No shepherds make flocks lie down there.

כלֹא־תֵשֵׁב לָנֶצַח וְלֹא תִשְׁכֹּן עַד־דּוֹר וָדוֹר וְלֹא־יַהֵל שָׁם עֲרָבִי וְרֹעִים לֹא־יַרְבִּצוּ שָׁם׃

21But beasts shall lie down there, And the houses be filled with owls; There shall ostriches make their home, And there shall satyrs dance.

כאוְרָבְצוּ־שָׁם צִיִּים וּמָלְאוּ בָתֵּיהֶם אֹחִים וְשָׁכְנוּ שָׁם בְּנוֹת יַעֲנָה וּשְׂעִירִים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָׁם׃

22And jackals shall abide in its castles And dragons in the palaces of pleasure. Her hour is close at hand; Her days will not be long.

כבוְעָנָה אִיִּים בְּאַלְמנוֹתָיו וְתַנִּים בְּהֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג וְקָרוֹב לָבוֹא עִתָּהּ וְיָמֶיהָ לֹא יִמָּשֵׁכוּ׃