Isaiah

Get down, sit in the dust,Fair Maiden Babylon;Sit, dethroned, on the ground,O Fair Chaldea;Nevermore shall they call youThe tender and dainty one.

Grasp the hand mill and grind meal.Remove your veil,Strip off your train, bare your leg,Wade through the rivers.

Your nakedness shall be uncovered,And your shame shall be exposed.I will take vengeance,And let no one intercede.

Our Redeemer—whose name is GOD of Hosts—Is the Holy One of Israel.aAnd let no one intercede. / Our Redeemer—whose name is GOD of Hosts— / Is the Holy One of Israel Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “And not be appeased, / Says our Redeemer, whose name is GOD of Hosts, / The Holy One of Israel.”

Sit silent; retire into darkness,O Fair Chaldea;Nevermore shall they call youMistress of Kingdoms.

I was angry at My people,I defiled My heritage;I put them into your hands,But you showed them no mercy.Even upon the aged you madeYour yoke exceedingly heavy.

You thought, “I shall always beThe mistress still.”You did not take these things to heart,You gave no thought to the end of it.

And now hear this, O pampered one—Who dwell in security,Who think to yourself,“I am, and there is none but me;I shall not become a widowOr know loss of children”—

These two things shall come upon you,Suddenly, in one day:Loss of children and widowhoodShall come upon you in full measure,Despite your many enchantmentsAnd all your countless spells.

You were secure in your wickedness;You thought, “No one can see me.”It was your skill and your scienceThat led you astray.And you thought to yourself,“I am, and there is none but me.”

Evil is coming upon youThat you will not know how to charm away;bcharm away Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “bribe.” Disaster is falling upon youThat you will not be able to appease;Coming upon you suddenlyIs ruin of which you know nothing.

Stand up, with your spells and your many enchantmentsOn which you labored since youth!Perhaps you’ll be able to profit,Perhaps you will find strength.cwill find strength Taking ʻaraṣ as a variant of ʻaṣar; cf. 2 Chron. 20.37.

You are helpless, despite all your art.Let them stand up and help you now,The scannersdscanners Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of heaven, the star-gazers,Who announce, month by month,Whatever will come upon you.

See, they are become like straw,Fire consumes them;They cannot save themselvesFrom the power of the flame;This is no coal for warming oneself,No fire to sit by!

This is what they have profited you—The traders you dealt with since youth—They have all wandered off on separate paths,There is none to save you.