Isaiah, 47

¹ Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit down on the ground where there is no throne, O daughter of the Chal·deʹans, For never again will people call you delicate and pampered.

² Take a hand mill and grind flour. Remove your veil. Strip off your skirt, uncover your legs. Cross over the rivers.

³ Your nakedness will be uncovered. Your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance, and no man will stand in my way.^*1

⁴ “The One repurchasing us —Jehovah of armies is his name— Is the Holy One of Israel.”

⁵ Sit there silently and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chal·deʹans; No more will they call you Mistress^*1 of Kingdoms.

⁶ I grew indignant at my people. I profaned my inheritance, And I gave them into your hand. But you showed them no mercy. Even on the elderly you placed a heavy yoke.

⁷ You said: “I will always be the Mistress,^*1 forever.” You did not take these things to heart; You did not consider how the matter would end.

⁸ Now hear this, O lover of pleasure, Who sits in security, who says in her heart: “I am the one, and there is no one else. I will not become a widow. I will never know the loss of children.”

⁹ But these two things will come upon you suddenly, in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. In full measure they will come upon you Because of^*1 your many sorceries and all your powerful spells.

¹⁰ You trusted in your wickedness. You said: “No one sees me.” Your wisdom and knowledge are what led you astray, And you say in your heart: “I am the one, and there is no one else.”

¹¹ But calamity will come upon you, And none of your charms will stop it.^*1 Adversity will befall you; you will not be able to avert it. Sudden ruin will come upon you like you have never known.

¹² Go ahead, then, with your spells and your many sorceries, With which you have toiled from your youth. Perhaps you may be able to benefit; Perhaps you may strike people with awe.

¹³ You have grown weary with the multitude of your advisers. Let them stand up now and save you, Those who worship the heavens,^*1 who gaze at the stars, Those giving out knowledge at the new moons About the things that will come upon you.

¹⁴ Look! They are like stubble. A fire will burn them up. They cannot save themselves^*1 from the power of the flame. These are not charcoals for keeping warm, And this is not a fire to sit in front of.

¹⁵ So your charmers will become to you, Those with whom you toiled from your youth. They will wander, each one in his own direction.^*1 There will be no one to save you.