12 Stand now among thine enchanters, and in the multitude of thy soothsayers (with whom thou hast [a]wearied thyself from thy youth) if so be thou mayest have profit, or if so be thou mayest have strength.

13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and prognosticators stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

14 Behold, they shall be as stubble: the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver their own lives from the power of the flame: there shall be no coals [b]to warm at, nor light to sit by.

15 Thus shall they serve thee, with whom thou hast wearied thee, even thy merchants from thy youth; every one shall wander to his own [c]quarters: none shall save thee.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 47:12 He derideth their vain confidence, that put their trust in anything but in God, condemning also such vain sciences, which serve to no use, but to delude the people, and to bring them from depending only on God.
  2. Isaiah 47:14 They shall utterly perish, and no part of them remain.
  3. Isaiah 47:15 They shall flee everyone to that place, which he thought by his speculations to be most sure: but that shall deceive them.

12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,(A)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!(B)
    Let your astrologers(C) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save(D) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(E)
    the fire(F) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.(G)
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
15 That is all they are to you—
    these you have dealt with
    and labored(H) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save(I) you.

Read full chapter