Babylon Will Fall
47:1 “Fall down! Sit in the dirt,
O virgin1
daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground, not on a throne,
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed2
you will no longer be called ‘delicate’ and ‘pampered.’
47:2 Pick up millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil,
strip off your skirt,
expose your legs,
cross the streams!
47:3 Let your private parts be exposed!
Your genitals will be on display!3
I will get revenge,
I will not have pity on anyone,”4
47:4 says our protector.
The LORD who leads armies is his name,
the sovereign king of Israel.5
47:5 “Sit silently! Go to a hiding place,6
O daughter of the Babylonians!
Indeed7
you will no longer be called ‘Queen of kingdoms.’
47:6 I was angry at my people,
I defiled my special possession,
and handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy,8
you even placed a very heavy burden on old people.9
47:7 You said,
‘I will rule forever as permanent queen.’10
You did not think about these things,11
you not consider how it would turn out.12
47:8 So now, listen to this,
O one who lives so lavishly,13
who lives securely,
who says to herself,14
‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!15
I will never have to live as a widow,
I will never lose my children.’16
47:9 Both of these will come upon you,
suddenly, in one day!
You will lose your children and be widowed.17
You will be overwhelmed by these tragedies,18
despite19
your many incantations
and your numerous amulets.20
47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds,21
you thought,22
‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed23
wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’24
47:11 Disaster will come upon you,
you will not know how to buy if off.25
Destruction will fall on you,
you will not be able to appease it.
Calamity will come upon you suddenly,
before you recognize it.26
47:12 Persist27
in trusting28
your amulets,
and your many incantations,
which you have faithfully recited29
since your youth!
Maybe you will be successful,30
maybe you will scare away disaster.31
47:13 You are tired out from listening to so much
advice.32
Let them take their stand—
the ones who see omens in the sky,
who gaze at the stars,
who make monthly predictions—
let them rescue you from the disaster that is coming upon you!33
47:14 Look, they are like straw,
which the fire burns up;
they cannot rescue themselves
from the heat34
of the flames.
There are no coals to warm them,
no firelight to enjoy.35
47:15 They will disappoint you,36
those with whom you have so faithfully dealt since your youth.37
Each strays off in his own direction,38
leaving no one to rescue you.”