Isaiah 47
1 Come down, sit on the ground, O
virgin daughter of Babylon: sit on the ground, O daughter of the Chaldeans:
for thou shalt no more be called tender and luxurious.
2 Take a millstone, grind meal: remove
thy veil, uncover thy white hairs, make bare the leg, pass through the rivers.
3 Thy shame shall be uncovered, thy
reproaches shall be brought to light: I will exact of thee due vengeance, I
will no longer deliver thee to men.
4 Thy deliverer is the Lord of hosts,
the Holy One of Israel is his name.
5 Sit thou down pierced with woe, go
into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: thou shalt no more be called the
strength of a kingdom. 6 I have been
provoked with my people; thou hast defiled mine inheritance: I gave them into
thy hand, but thou didst not extend mercy to them: thou madest the yoke of the
aged man very heavy, 7 and saidst, I
shall be a princess for ever: thou didst not perceive these things in thine
heart, nor didst thou remember the latter end.
8 But now hear these words, thou
luxurious one, who art the one that sits
at ease, that is secure, that says in her heart, I
am, and there is not another; I shall not sit a widow, neither shall I know
bereavement. 9 But now these two
things shall come upon thee suddenly in one day, the loss of children and
widowhood shall come suddenly upon thee, for thy sorcery, for the strength of
thine enchantments, 10 for thy
aGr. the hope of thy wickedness.trusting in wickedness: for thou saidst, I am, and there is not another: know
thou, the understanding of these things and thy harlotry shall be thy shame;
for thou saidst in thy heart, I am, and there is not another.
11 And destruction shall come upon
thee, and thou shalt not be aware; there shall be a
pit, and thou shalt fall into it: and grief shall come upon thee, and thou
shalt not be able to be
bOr, pure.clear; and destruction shall come suddenly upon thee, and thou shalt not
know. 12 Stand now with thine
enchantments, and with the abundance of thy sorcery, which thou hast learned
from thy youth; if thou canst be profited.
13 Thou art wearied in thy counsels.
Let now the astrologers of the heaven stand and deliver thee, let them that
see the stars tell thee what is about to come upon thee.
14 Behold, they all shall be burnt up
as sticks in the fire; neither shall they at all deliver their life from the
flame. Because thou hast coals of fire, sit thou upon them;
15 these shall be thy help. Thou hast
wearied thyself with traffic from thy youth: every man has wandered to his own
home, but thou shalt have no deliverance.