Isaiah Chapter 47

Prediction of the Fall of Babylon

         47^:1“Come sit in the dirt,

                              virgin daughter of Babylon.

                        Sit on the ground without a throne;

                              you won’t be treated honorably anymore.

                  ² Grind meal with heavy millstones;

                        take off your veil, strip off your skirt,

                        uncover your legs and cross the rivers.

                  ³ Your nakedness will show;

                        your shame will be exposed;

                        in my revenge I won’t spare you or anybody else.”  

Is 47:1-3

                  ⁴ Our Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

                         Yahveh of Hosts is his name.

                  ⁵ “Sit silently in the dark,

                              daughter of Babylon;

                        you won’t be called

                              the queen of kingdoms anymore.

                  ⁶ I was angry with my people

                              and punished them by letting them fall to you.

                        But you didn’t show them any mercy;

                              you put a heavy yoke even on the elderly.

                  ⁷ Yet you said, ‘I’ll be queen forever’;

                                    you were thoughtless about these things

                                          and didn’t consider the consequences.

Is 47:4-7

                              ⁸ “Listen to this, you that love pleasure,

                                    that live securely and tell yourselves,

‘I exist and nobody can harm me;

I’ll never be a widow or lose my children.’

                              ⁹ But both will happen to you suddenly the same day—

                                          losing your children and becoming a widow;

                                    those disasters will come on you in full measure

                                          despite your many sorceries and powerful spells.”

Is 47:8-9

                              ¹⁰ “You felt secure in your sinfulness and said,

                                          ‘Nobody can see me.’

                                    Your ‘wisdom and knowledge’ have misled you;

                                          you’ve told yourself,

‘I exist and nobody can harm me.’

                              ¹¹ But misfortune will come on you

                                          that you can’t charm away;

                                    disaster will fall on you

                                          that you can’t buy off;

                                    destruction will meet you suddenly

                                          that you’re not prepared for.                               

Is 47:10-11

                              ¹² “Stick with your spells and sorceries

                                          that you’ve labored under since you were young;

                                    maybe you can scare somebody.

                              ¹³ You’re tired of all the advice you’ve received;

                                    let the astrologers—who prophesy by the stars,

                                          and predict by the new moon—

                                          stand up and save you from what’s coming.

                  ¹⁴ They’re like chaff in a fire;

                        they can’t deliver themselves from the flames;

                        there won’t be any good place for you to sit and keep warm.

                  ¹⁵ That’s the way it is for the ones you’ve worked with

                              and done business with from your youth;

                        each one will go off in their own direction;

                              nobody can save you.                                           

Is 47:12-15