The Fall of Babylon

47 “Go down and sit in the dust,(A)
Virgin Daughter Babylon.(B)
Sit on the ground without a throne,
Daughter Chaldea!
For you will no longer be called pampered and spoiled.
Take millstones and grind flour;(C)
remove your veil,
strip off your skirt, bare your thigh,
wade through the streams.
Your nakedness will be uncovered,
and your disgrace will be exposed.(D)
I will take vengeance;
I will spare no one.”[a]
The Holy One of Israel is our Redeemer;(E)
The Lord of Armies is his name.

“Daughter Chaldea,
sit in silence(F) and go into darkness.
For you will no longer be called mistress of kingdoms.
I was angry with my people;
I profaned my possession,
and I handed them over to you.
You showed them no mercy;
you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly.
You said, ‘I will be the queen forever.’
You did not take these things to heart
or think about their outcome.

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Footnotes

  1. 47:3 Hb obscure

Daughter Babylon dethroned

47 Go down and sit in the dust,
    virgin Daughter Babylon!
Sit on the ground without a throne,
    Daughter Chaldea,
    because they will no longer call you tender and pampered.
Take the millstones and grind flour!
Remove your veil, strip off your robe,
    expose your thighs, wade through the rivers!
Your nakedness will be exposed,
    and your disgrace will be seen.
I will take vengeance;
    no one will intervene.[a]
Our redeemer has spoken;
    the Lord of heavenly forces is his name,
    the holy one of Israel.

Sit silent and go into darkness, Daughter Chaldea,
    because they will no longer call you Queen of Kingdoms.
I was enraged with my people;
    I made my inheritance impure
    and put them under your power.
You took no pity on them.
    You made your yoke heavy even on the elderly.
    You said, “I’m forever; I’m the eternal mistress.”
    You didn’t stop and think;
    you didn’t consider the outcome.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 47:3 Syr, cf Vulg; MT I won’t meet a man