Isaiah 47

Prediction of Babylon's fall

Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust
For your days of sitting on a throne have ended
Oh, daughter of Babylonia, never again will
You be the lovely princess, tender and delicate
Take heavy millstones and grind flour
Remove your veil and strip off your
Robe, expose yourself to public view
You will be naked and burdened with shame
I will take vengeance against you without pity

Our Redeemer, whose name is the Lord of
Heaven's Armies, is the Holy One of Israel

Oh, beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence
Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms
For I was angry with my chosen people and punished
Them by letting them fall into your hands
But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy
You oppressed even the elderly
You said, "I will reign forever as queen of the world"
You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences

Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom
Living at ease and feeling secure
You say, "I am the only one, and there is no other
I will never be a widow or lose my children"

Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment
Widowhood and the loss of your children
Yes, these calamities will come upon you
Despite all your witchcraft and magic
You felt secure in your wickedness
"No one sees me," you said
But your wisdom and knowledge have led you astray
And you said, "I am the only one, and there is no other"

So disaster will overtake you, and you won't be able to charm it away
Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out
A catastrophe will strike you suddenly
One for which you are not prepared

Now use your magical charms, use the
Spells you have worked at all these years
Maybe they will do you some good
Maybe they can make someone afraid of you
All the advice you receive has made you tired
Where are all your astrologers, those
Stargazers who make predictions each month?
Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds

But they are like straw burning in a fire
They cannot save themselves from the flame
You will get no help from them at all
Their hearth is no place to sit for warmth

And all your friends, those with whom you've done
Business since childhood, will go their own ways
Turning a deaf ear to your cries