Isaiah 47

Lament for Babylon

1“1Come down and sit in the dust, O 2virgin 3daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer be called 4tender and delicate.2Take the 5millstones and 6grind meal. Remove your 7veil, 8strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.3Your 9nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed; I will 10take vengeance and will not 11spare a man.”4Our 12Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.5“13Sit silently, and go into 14darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, For you will no longer be called The 15queen of 16kingdoms.6I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the 17aged you made your yoke very heavy.7Yet you said, ‘I will be a 18queen forever.’ These things you did not 19consider Nor remember the 20outcome of 21them.

8“Now, then, hear this, you 22sensual one, Who 23dwells securely, Who says in 24your heart, ‘25I am, and there is no one besides me. I will 26not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.’9But these 27two things will come on you 28suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many 29sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.10You felt 30secure in your wickedness and said, ‘31No one sees me,’ Your 32wisdom and your knowledge, 33they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart, ‘34I am, and there is no one besides me.’11But 35evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And 36destruction about which you do not know Will come on you 37suddenly.

12“Stand fast now in your 38spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.13You are 39wearied with your many counsels; Let now the 40astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and 41save you from what will come upon you.14Behold, they have become 42like stubble, 43Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be 44no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!15So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have 45trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own 46way; There is 47none to save you.