Isaiah 47

Mourning for Babylon

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

8“Now, then, hear this, you 21luxuriant one, Who 22lives securely, Who says in her heart, ‘23I am, and there is no one besides me. I will 24not sit as a widow, Nor know the loss of children.’9But these 25two things will come on you 26suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many 27sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.10You felt 28secure in your wickedness and said, ‘29No one sees me,’ Your 30wisdom and your knowledge, 31they have led you astray; For you have said in your heart, ‘32I am, and there is no one besides me.’11But 33evil 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 34destruction about which you do not know Will come on you 35suddenly.

12“Persist now in your 36spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to benefit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.13You are 37wearied with your many counsels; Let now the 38astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and 39save you from what will come upon you.14Behold, they have become 40like stubble, 41Fire burns them; They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame; There will be 42no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!15So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Those who have 43done business with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own 44way; There is 45no one to save you.