Isaiah 47
47
The Fall of Babylon#A taunt-song, mocking Babylon, once queen of the nations, now a mere slave.
1Come down, sit in the dust,
virgin daughter Babylon;
Sit on the ground, dethroned,
daughter of the Chaldeans.
No longer shall you be called
dainty and delicate.#Dt 28:56.
2Take the millstone and grind flour,
remove your veil;
Strip off your skirt, bare your legs,
cross through the streams.
3Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
and your shame be seen;
I will take vengeance,
I will yield to no entreaty,
says 4our redeemer,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts,
the Holy One of Israel.
5Go into darkness and sit in silence,
daughter of the Chaldeans,
No longer shall you be called
sovereign mistress of kingdoms.
6Angry at my people,
I profaned my heritage
And gave them into your power;
but you showed them no mercy;
Upon the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7You said, “I shall remain always,
a sovereign mistress forever!”
You did not take these things to heart,
but disregarded their outcome.#Is 14:13–14.
8Now hear this, voluptuous one,
enthroned securely,
Saying in your heart,
“I, and no one else!#47:8, 10] I, and no one else: Babylon is mockingly presented as making the same claim as the Lord (cf. 45:6, 14, 22; 46:9), a claim that events will soon prove to be false and foolish (v. 11).
I shall never be a widow,
bereft of my children”—#Zep 2:15; Rev 18:7.
9Both these things shall come to you
suddenly, in a single day:
Complete bereavement and widowhood
shall come upon you
Despite your many sorceries
and the full power of your spells;#47:9–13, 15] Babylon was known for its sorcery and astrology.
10Secure in your wickedness,
you said, “No one sees me.”
Your wisdom and your knowledge
led you astray,
And you said in your heart,
“I, and no one else!”
11But upon you shall come an evil
you will not be able to charm away;
Upon you shall fall a disaster
you cannot ward off.
Upon you shall suddenly come
a ruin you cannot imagine.
12Keep on with your spells
and your many sorceries,
at which you toiled from your youth.
Perhaps you can prevail,
perhaps you can strike terror!
13You wore yourself out with so many consultations!
Let the astrologers stand forth to save you,
The stargazers who forecast at each new moon
what would happen to you.
14See, they are like stubble,
fire consumes them;
They cannot deliver themselves
from the spreading flames.
This is no warming ember,
no fire to sit before!
15Thus do your wizards serve you
with whom you have toiled from your youth;
They wander their separate ways,
with none to save you.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 47
47
The Humiliation of Babylon
1“Go down and sit in the dust,
O Virgin Daughter of Babylon.
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O Daughter of Chaldea!#47:1 That is, Babylon; also in verse 5
For you will no longer be called
tender or delicate.
2Take millstones and grind flour;
remove your veil;
strip off your skirt, bare your thigh,
and wade through the streams.
3Your nakedness will be uncovered
and your shame will be exposed.
I will take vengeance;
I will spare no one.”
4Our Redeemer—the Lord of Hosts is His name—
is the Holy One of Israel.
5“Sit in silence and go into darkness,
O Daughter of Chaldea.
For you will no longer be called
the queen of kingdoms.
6I was angry with My people;
I profaned My heritage,
and I placed them under your control.
You showed them no mercy;
even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.
7You said, ‘I will be queen forever.’
You did not take these things to heart
or consider their outcome.
8So now hear this,
O lover of luxury who sits securely,
who says to herself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow
or know the loss of children.’
9These two things will overtake you in a moment,
in a single day:
loss of children, and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries
and the potency of your spells.
10You were secure in your wickedness;
you said, ‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray;
you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11But disaster will come upon you;
you will not know how to charm it away.
A calamity will befall you
that you will be unable to ward off.
Devastation will happen to you
suddenly and unexpectedly.
12So take your stand with your spells
and with your many sorceries,
with which you have wearied yourself
from your youth.
Perhaps you will succeed;
perhaps you will inspire terror!
13You are wearied by your many counselors;
let them come forward now and save you—
your astrologers who observe the stars,
who monthly predict your fate.
14Surely they are like stubble;
the fire will burn them up.
They cannot deliver themselves
from the power of the flame.
There will be no coals to warm them
or fire to sit beside.
15This is what they are to you—
those with whom you have labored and traded from youth—
each one strays in his own direction;
not one of them can save you.
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.