The burdenמַשָּׂאof Babylon,בָּבֶלwhichאֲשֶׁרIsaiahיְשַׁעְיָהוּsonבֶּןof Amozאָמוֹץsaw.חָזָה
Onעַלa bareנִשְׁפֶּהmountainהַרraiseשְׂאוּa banner;נֵסlift upהָרִימוּthe voiceקוֹלto them;לָהֶםwaveהָנִיפוּthe hand,יָדand let them enterוְיָבֹאוּthe doorwaysפִּתְחֵיof the nobles.נְדִיבִים
Iאֲנִיhave commandedצִוֵּיתִיmy consecrated ones;לִמְקֻדָּשָׁיI have alsoגַּםcalledקָרָאתִיmy mighty menגִבּוֹרַיfor my anger,לְאַפִּיthose who exultעַלִּיזֵיin my loftiness.גַּאֲוָתִי
The soundקוֹלof a multitudeהָמוֹןon the mountains,בֶּהָרִיםthe likenessדְּמוּתof a greatרָבpeople!עַםThe soundקוֹלof the uproarשְׁאוֹןof kingdoms,מַמְלְכוֹתof nationsגּוֹיִםgathered together!נֶאֱסָפִיםYHWHיְהוָהTsevaotצְבָאוֹתis musteringמְפַקֵּדthe armyצְבָאfor battle.מִלְחָמָה
They comeבָּאִיםfrom a landמֵאֶרֶץfar away,מֶרְחָקfrom the endמִקְצֵהof the heavens,הַשָּׁמָיִםYHWHיְהוָהand the instrumentsוּכְלֵיof his indignation,זַעְמוֹto destroyלְחַבֵּלthe wholeכָּלearth.הָאָרֶץ
Wail,הֵילִילוּforכִּיthe dayיוֹםof YHWHיְהוָהis near;קָרוֹבlike devastationכְּשֹׁדfrom Shaddaiמִשַּׁדַּיit will come.יָבוֹא
Thereforeעַל כֵּןallכָּלhandsיָדַיִםwill go limp,תִּרְפֶּינָהand everyוְכָלheartלְבַבof a mortalאֱנוֹשׁwill melt.יִמָּס
And they will be terrified;וְנִבְהָלוּpangsצִירִיםand painsוַחֲבָלִיםwill seize them;יֹאחֵזוּןlike a woman giving birthכַּיּוֹלֵדָהthey will writhe;יְחִילוּןeachאִישׁat his neighborאֶל רֵעֵהוּwill stare in amazement;יִתְמָהוּfacesפְּנֵיof flamesלְהָבִיםaretheir faces.פְּנֵיהֶם
Look,הִנֵּהthe dayיוֹםof YHWHיְהוָהis coming,בָּאcruel,אַכְזָרִיand wrathוְעֶבְרָהand burningוַחֲרוֹןanger,אָףto makeלָשׂוּםthe earthהָאָרֶץa desolation,לְשַׁמָּהand its sinnersוְחַטָּאֶיהָhe will destroyיַשְׁמִידfrom it.מִמֶּנָּה
Forכִּיthe starsכוֹכְבֵיof the heavensהַשָּׁמַיִםand their constellationsוּכְסִילֵיהֶםwill notלֹאflash forthיָהֵלּוּtheir light;אוֹרָםthe sunהַשֶּׁמֶשׁwill be darkenedחָשַׁךְat its rising,בְּצֵאתוֹand the moonוְיָרֵחַwill notלֹאshedיַגִּיהַits light.אוֹרוֹ
And I will punishוּפָקַדְתִּיthe worldעַל תֵּבֵלfor its evil,רָעָהand the wickedוְעַל רְשָׁעִיםfor their iniquity;עֲוֺנָםand I will put an endוְהִשְׁבַּתִּיto the prideגְּאוֹןof the insolent,זֵדִיםand the arroganceוְגַאֲוַתof tyrantsעָרִיצִיםI will bring low.אַשְׁפִּיל
I will make scarceאוֹקִירmortals,אֱנוֹשׁmore thanמִpure gold,פָּזand human beingsוְאָדָםmore thanמִthe fine goldכֶּתֶםof Ophir.אוֹפִיר
Thereforeעַל כֵּןI will shakeאַרְגִּיזthe heavens,שָׁמַיִםand the earthוְ הָאָרֶץwill quakeתִרְעַשׁout of its placeמִמְּקוֹמָהּat the wrathבְּעֶבְרַתof YHWHיְהוָהTsevaot,צְבָאוֹתand on the dayוּבְיוֹםof his burningחֲרוֹןanger.אַפּוֹ
And it will beוְהָיָהlikeכִּa huntedמֻדָּחgazelle,צְבִיand like sheepוּכְצֹאןwith noוְאֵיןone to gather them;מְקַבֵּץeachאִישׁto his peopleאֶל עַמּוֹthey will turn,יִפְנוּand eachוְאִישׁto his landאֶל אַרְצוֹthey will flee.יָנוּסוּ
Everyoneכָּלwho is foundהַנִּמְצָאwill be pierced through,יִדָּקֵרand everyoneוְכָלwho is caughtהַנִּסְפֶּהwill fallיִפּוֹלby the sword.בֶּחָרֶב
And their little onesוְעֹלְלֵיהֶםwill be dashed to piecesיְרֻטְּשׁוּbefore their eyes;לְעֵינֵיהֶםtheir housesבָּתֵּיהֶםwill be plundered,יִשַּׁסּוּand their wivesוּנְשֵׁיהֶםviolated.תִּשָּׁכַבְנָה
Look,הִנְIנִיam stirring upמֵעִירagainst themעֲלֵיהֶםthe Medes,אֶת מָדָיwhoאֲשֶׁרdo notלֹאvalueיַחְשֹׁבוּsilverכֶּסֶףandוְgoldזָהָבthey do notלֹאdelight in.יַחְפְּצוּ בוֹ
And their bowsוּקְשָׁתוֹתwill dash to piecesתְּרַטַּשְׁנָהthe young men,נְעָרִיםand on the fruitוּפְרִיof the wombבֶטֶןthey will have noלֹאcompassion;יְרַחֵמוּon childrenעַל בָּנִיםtheir eyeעֵינָםwill notלֹאhave pity.תָחוּס
AndוְBabylon,בָבֶלthe ornamentצְבִיof kingdoms,מַמְלָכוֹתthe beautyתִּפְאֶרֶתof the prideגְּאוֹןof the Chaldeans,כַּשְׂדִּיםwill beהָיְתָהlike the overthrowכְּמַהְפֵּכַתby Elohimאֱלֹהִיםof Sodomאֶת סְדֹםand Gomorrah.וְאֶת עֲמֹרָה
It will neverלֹא לָנֶצַחbe inhabited,תֵשֵׁבnorוְלֹאbe dwelt inתִשְׁכֹּןfrom generationעַד דּוֹרto generation;וָדוֹרnorוְלֹאwill the Arabעֲרָבִיpitch his tentיַהֵלthere,שָׁםnor shepherdsוְרֹעִים לֹאmake their flocks lie downיַרְבִּצוּthere.שָׁם
Andוְdesert creaturesצִיִּיםwill lie downרָבְצוּthere,שָׁםand their housesבָתֵּיהֶםwill be filledוּמָלְאוּwith owls;אֹחִיםand ostrichesבְּנוֹת יַעֲנָהwill dwellוְשָׁכְנוּthere,שָׁםand male goatsוּשְׂעִירִיםwill danceיְרַקְּדוּthere.שָׁם
Andוְhyenasאִיִּיםwill howlעָנָהin its palaces,בְּאַלְמנוֹתָיוand jackalsוְתַנִּיםin the palacesבְּהֵיכְלֵיof delight;עֹנֶגandוְits timeעִתָּהּis nearקָרוֹבto come,לָבוֹאand its daysוְיָמֶיהָwill notלֹאbe prolonged.יִמָּשֵׁכוּ