Isaiah 13:17-22
God appoints nations to execute judgment, and proud cities fall into irreversible ruin.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not value silver, and as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Their bows will dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eyes will not spare children.
19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
21 But wild animals of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of jackals. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will frolic there.
22 Wolves will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
God appoints nations to execute judgment, and proud cities fall into irreversible ruin.
To specify the historical instrument of Babylon’s downfall and portray its total and enduring desolation.
The Medes later participated in the overthrow of Babylon, marking the end of the empire's dominance in the region.
The Oracle Against Babylon and the Day of the LORD
Isaiah 13 declares that the LORD rules over empires, musters nations for judgment, brings the day of the LORD against evil and pride, and turns Babylon’s glorious arrogance into irreversible desolation.