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Isaiah 13 (Yesha’yahu) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Isaiah in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Isaiah 13:1–22

Isaiah, Chapter 13

ישעיהו יג

The burden of Bavel that Yesha’yahu son of Amotz saw: Hashem of hosts musters a host from a far country, the day of Hashem comes with darkened heavens, Madai is stirred up against Bavel, and Bavel becomes like Sedom and Amorah, never again inhabited, a dwelling of wild beasts.

The burden of Bavel

13:1The burden of Bavel (Babylon), which Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) the son of Amotz (Amoz) did see.

אמַשָּׂ֖א בָּבֶ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה יְשַׁעְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אָמֽוֹץ׃

13:2Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

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

13:3I have commanded My sanctified ones, I have also called My mighty ones for My anger, even them that rejoice in My highness.

גאֲנִ֥י צִוֵּ֖יתִי לִמְקֻדָּשָׁ֑י גַּ֣ם קָרָ֤אתִי גִבּוֹרַי֙ לְאַפִּ֔י עַלִּיזֵ֖י גַּאֲוָתִֽי׃

13:4The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: Hashem of hosts musters the host of the battle.

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

13:5They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even Hashem, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.

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

The day of Hashem

13:6Howl you; for the day of Hashem is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

והֵילִ֕ילוּ כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב י֣וֹם יְהוָ֑ה כְּשֹׁ֖ד מִשַּׁדַּ֥י יָבֽוֹא׃

13:7Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:

זעַל־כֵּ֖ן כָּל־יָדַ֣יִם תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה וְכָל־לְבַ֥ב אֱנ֖וֹשׁ יִמָּס׃

13:8And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

חוְֽנִבְהָ֓לוּ ׀ צִירִ֤ים וַֽחֲבָלִים֙ יֹֽאחֵז֔וּן כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֖ה יְחִיל֑וּן אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ יִתְמָ֔הוּ פְּנֵ֥י לְהָבִ֖ים פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

13:9Behold, the day of Hashem comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

טהִנֵּ֤ה יוֹם־יְהוָה֙ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן אָ֑ף לָשׂ֤וּם הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְחַטָּאֶ֖יהָ יַשְׁמִ֥יד מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

13:10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

יכִּֽי־כוֹכְבֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ וּכְסִ֣ילֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א יָהֵ֖לּוּ אוֹרָ֑ם חָשַׁ֤ךְ הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ בְּצֵאת֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖חַ לֹֽא־יַגִּ֥יהַ אוֹרֽוֹ׃

13:11And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

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

13:12I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ofir (Ophir).

יבאוֹקִ֥יר אֱנ֖וֹשׁ מִפָּ֑ז וְאָדָ֖ם מִכֶּ֥תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃

13:13Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of Hashem of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.

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

13:14And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man takes up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

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

13:15Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

טוכָּל־הַנִּמְצָ֖א יִדָּקֵ֑ר וְכָל־הַנִּסְפֶּ֖ה יִפּ֥וֹל בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

13:16Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

טזוְעֹלְלֵיהֶ֥ם יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם יִשַּׁ֨סּוּ֙ בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֔ם וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם תִּשָּׁכַֽבְנָה (כתיב תשגלנה)׃

Madai against Bavel

13:17Behold, I will stir up Madai (the Medes) against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

יזהִנְנִ֛י מֵעִ֥יר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֨סֶף֙ לֹ֣א יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ וְזָהָ֖ב לֹ֥א יַחְפְּצוּ־בֽוֹ׃

13:18Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

יחוּקְשָׁת֖וֹת נְעָרִ֣ים תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶ֨טֶן֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ עַל־בָּנִ֖ים לֹֽא־תָח֥וּס עֵינָֽם׃

13:19And Bavel, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Kasdim’s (Chaldees’) excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sedom (Sodom) and Amorah (Gomorrah).

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

13:20It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Aravi (Arabian) pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

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

13:21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

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

13:22And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

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

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In Isaiah they differ from most English Bibles in chapters 8–9 (9:1 there is 8:23 here) and 63–64 (64:1 there is the end of 63:19 here); a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.