“So now hear this, lover of luxury,
who sits securely,(A)
who says to herself,
‘I am, and there is no one else.
I will never be a widow
or know the loss of children.’(B)
These two things will happen to you
suddenly, in one day:
loss of children and widowhood.
They will happen to you in their entirety,
in spite of your many sorceries(C)
and the potency of your spells.
10 You were secure in your wickedness;
you said, ‘No one sees me.’(D)
Your wisdom and knowledge
led you astray.
You said to yourself,
‘I am, and there is no one else.’
11 But disaster will happen to you;
you will not know how to avert it.
And it will fall on you,
but you will be unable to ward it off.[a]
Devastation will happen to you suddenly
and unexpectedly.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 47:11 Or to atone for it

“Now hear this, you wanton creature,
    lounging with no cares,
and saying to herself:
    ‘I am the one, and there will be none besides me;
I won’t live as a widow,
    nor will I see[a] the loss of children.’
Both of these things will overtake you
    suddenly on a single day:
loss of children and widowhood.
    They will come upon you in full measure,
despite the multitude of your incantations
    and the great power of your spells.”

Self-Deception of the Babylonians

10 “You trusted in your own knowledge.[b]
    You said, ‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and knowledge have misled you.
    You said in your heart,
        ‘I am the one, and there will be none besides me.’

11 “But disaster will come[c] upon you,
    and[d] you will not know how to charm it away.
A calamity will befall you
    that you will not be able to[e] ward off;
and devastation will come upon you suddenly,
    and[f] you won’t anticipate it.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 47:8 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsad MT LXX read know
  2. Isaiah 47:10 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read evil
  3. Isaiah 47:11 So 1QIsaa (feminine); MT (masculine [incorrectly])
  4. Isaiah 47:11 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
  5. Isaiah 47:11 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks to
  6. Isaiah 47:11 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and