Isaiah 13:6-18

6Weep, because the day of the Lord is near. That is the time when God Almighty will destroy his enemies.

7All the people will become weak with fear. They will no longer be brave.

8They will be very afraid. Their bodies will hurt with great pain, like a woman who is giving birth. They will look at each other, as their faces show fear and pain.

9Look! The day of the Lord will happen soon! It will be a cruel day. The Lord will punish his enemies with great anger. He will destroy the whole land, as well as all the sinners in it.

10When he does that, the stars in the sky will give no light. When the sun rises in the morning, it will still be dark. The moon will no longer shine.

11I, the Lord, will punish the world, because it is evil. I will punish wicked people for their sins. I will stop proud people from boasting. If strong people are cruel to others, I will bring them down low.

12Very few people will remain after my punishment. Men and women will be more difficult to find than the best gold.

13Then I will cause the sky to shake. The earth will move from its proper place. People will see how angry I am, when they see the great anger of the Lord Almighty.

14Everyone will try to run away and escape. They will run anywhere, like a deer that runs away from a hunter. They will be like sheep with no shepherd to lead them. They will return to their own countries and homes.

15The enemy soldiers will catch all those who do not escape. They will use their swords to kill everyone that they catch.

16They will knock their children down in pieces while the parents watch. They will rob the people's homes. They will have sex with their wives.

17Look! I will cause the Medes to come and attack Babylon. Their army has no interest in silver or gold, so nobody can pay them to stop.

18Their arrows will kill Babylon's young men. They will not let babies or children go free.