以賽亞書13:6-22

13:6 你們要哀號，因為耶和華的日子臨近了！這日來到，好像毀滅從全能者來到。
13:7 所以，人手都必軟弱；人心都必消化。
13:8 他們必驚惶悲痛；愁苦必將他們抓住。他們疼痛，好像產難的婦人一樣，彼此驚奇相看，臉如火焰。
13:9 耶和華的日子臨到，必有殘忍、忿恨、烈怒，使這地荒涼，從其中除滅罪人。
13:10 天上的眾星群宿都不發光；日頭一出就變黑暗；月亮也不放光。
13:11 我必因邪惡刑罰世界，因罪孽刑罰惡人，使驕傲人的狂妄止息，制伏強暴人的狂傲。
13:12 我必使人比精金還少，使人比俄斐純金更少。
13:13 我─萬軍之耶和華在忿恨中發烈怒的日子，必使天震動，使地搖撼，離其本位。
13:14 人必像被追趕的鹿，像無人收聚的羊，各歸回本族，各逃到本土。
13:15 凡被仇敵追上的必被刺死；凡被捉住的必被刀殺。
13:16 他們的嬰孩必在他們眼前摔碎；他們的房屋必被搶奪；他們的妻子必被玷污。
13:17 我必激動米底亞人來攻擊他們。米底亞人不注重銀子，也不喜愛金子。
13:18 他們必用弓擊碎少年人，不憐憫婦人所生的，眼也不顧惜孩子。
13:19 巴比倫素來為列國的榮耀，為迦勒底人所矜誇的華美，必像上帝所傾覆的所多瑪、蛾摩拉一樣。
13:20 其內必永無人煙，世世代代無人居住。阿拉伯人也不在那裡支搭帳棚；牧羊的人也不使羊群臥在那裡。
13:21 只有曠野的走獸臥在那裡；咆哮的獸滿了房屋。鴕鳥住在那裡；野山羊在那裡跳舞。
13:22 豺狼必在它宮中呼號；野狗必在它華美殿內吼叫。巴比倫受罰的時候臨近；它的日子必不長久。

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction from the Almighty!

7

Therefore all hands will be feeble,

and every human heart will melt,

8

and they will be dismayed.

Pangs and agony will seize them;

they will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

They will look aghast at one another;

their faces will be aflame.

9

See, the day of the Lord comes,

cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

to make the earth a desolation,

and to destroy its sinners from it.

10

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

will not give their light;

the sun will be dark at its rising,

and the moon will not shed its light.

11

I will punish the world for its evil,

and the wicked for their iniquity;

I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant,

and lay low the insolence of tyrants.

12

I will make mortals more rare than fine gold,

and humans than the gold of Ophir.

13

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,

and the earth will be shaken out of its place,

at the wrath of the Lord of hosts

in the day of his fierce anger.

14

Like a hunted gazelle,

or like sheep with no one to gather them,

all will turn to their own people,

and all will flee to their own lands.

15

Whoever is found will be thrust through,

and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.

16

Their infants will be dashed to pieces

before their eyes;

their houses will be plundered,

and their wives ravished.

17

See, I am stirring up the Medes against them,

who have no regard for silver

and do not delight in gold.

18

Their bows will slaughter the young men;

they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb;

their eyes will not pity children.

19

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,

the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans,

will be like Sodom and Gomorrah

when God overthrew them.

20

It will never be inhabited

or lived in for all generations;

Arabs will not pitch their tents there,

shepherds will not make their flocks lie down there.

21

But wild animals will lie down there,

and its houses will be full of howling creatures;

there ostriches will live,

and there goat-demons will dance.

22

Hyenas will cry in its towers,

and jackals in the pleasant palaces;

its time is close at hand,

and its days will not be prolonged.

**********

    巴比倫興起之後，也會走向敗亡之路。這是一切國家的走向，就連中國也是經過好幾個朝代，其實也是興起與敗亡。國家和政權的替換，讓我們看見人所建立的國度都是短暫的，唯有上帝是永恆的！

    從歷史的演替，讓我們再一次體認到，人是敵不過上帝的，人只能依附或倚靠上帝，將短暫有限的生命交託在上帝的手中，讓上帝的救贖臨到，才有辦法化短暫為永恆，使生命不再受時間和空間的限制，並且享受耶穌基督所賜得永生之福。

    我們相信，上帝在耶穌基督裡的應許都是會成就的，也因為這樣，我們今天被上帝揀選並安置在基督裡，就要存著感謝的心來在基督裡尊上帝為大，要不是上帝預備救恩，我們就無法得拯救，我們豈能說是這個救恩是上帝和我合作完成的呢！反到要將榮耀歸給上帝說：唯獨上帝的恩典，我們才可以得救！