Chapter 47
The Humiliation of Babylon
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[“]Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate.
𐤓𐤃𐤉 𐤅𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤏𐤐𐤓 𐤁𐤕𐤅𐤋𐤕 𐤁𐤕 𐤁𐤁𐤋 𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤋𐤀𐤓𐤑 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤊𐤎𐤀 𐤁𐤕 𐤊𐤔𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤊𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤅𐤎𐤉𐤐𐤉 𐤉𐤒𐤓𐤀𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤓𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤏𐤍𐤂𐤄
רְדִ֣י׀ וּשְׁבִ֣י עַל־ עָפָ֗ר בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־ בָּבֶ֔ל שְׁבִי־ לָאָ֥רֶץ אֵין־ כִּסֵּ֖א בַּת־ כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תוֹסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־ לָ֔ךְ רַכָּ֖ה וַעֲנֻגָּֽה׃ rə·ḏî ū·šə·ḇî ‘al- ‘ā·p̄ār bə·ṯū·laṯ baṯ- bā·ḇel šə·ḇî- lā·’ā·reṣ ’ên- kis·sê baṯ- kaś·dîm kî lō ṯō·w·sî·p̄î yiq·rə·’ū- lāḵ rak·kāh wa·‘ă·nug·gāh — WLC · 1
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Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, [and] wade through the streams.
𐤒𐤇𐤉 𐤓𐤇𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤈𐤇𐤍𐤉 𐤒𐤌𐤇 𐤂𐤋𐤉 𐤑𐤌𐤕𐤊 𐤇𐤔𐤐𐤉 𐤔𐤁𐤋 𐤂𐤋𐤉 𐤔𐤅𐤒 𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤉 𐤍𐤄𐤓𐤅𐤕
קְחִ֥י רֵחַ֖יִם וְטַ֣חֲנִי קָ֑מַח גַּלִּ֨י צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ חֶשְׂפִּי־ שֹׁ֛בֶל גַּלִּי־ שׁ֖וֹק עִבְרִ֥י נְהָרֽוֹת׃ qə·ḥî rê·ḥa·yim wə·ṭa·ḥă·nî qā·maḥ gal·lî ṣam·mā·ṯêḵ ḥeś·pî- šō·ḇel gal·lî- šō·wq ‘iḇ·rî nə·hā·rō·wṯ — WLC · 2
3
Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”
𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤕𐤊 𐤕𐤂𐤋 𐤂𐤌 𐤇𐤓𐤐𐤕𐤊 𐤕𐤓𐤀𐤄 𐤀𐤒𐤇 𐤍𐤒𐤌 𐤀𐤐𐤂𐤏 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤃𐤌𐤎
עֶרְוָתֵ֔ךְ תִּגָּל֙ גַּ֥ם חֶרְפָּתֵ֑ךְ תֵּרָאֶ֖ה אֶקָּ֔ח נָקָ֣ם אֶפְגַּ֖ע וְלֹ֥א אָדָֽם׃ס ‘er·wā·ṯêḵ tig·gāl gam ḥer·pā·ṯêḵ tê·rā·’eh ’eq·qāḥ nā·qām ’ep̄·ga‘ wə·lō ’ā·ḏām — WLC · 3
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Our Redeemer— the LORD of Hosts is His name— [is] the Holy One of Israel.
𐤂𐤀𐤋𐤍𐤅 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤑𐤁𐤀𐤅𐤕 𐤔𐤌𐤅 𐤒𐤃𐤅𐤔 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋
גֹּאֲלֵ֕נוּ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ קְד֖וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ gō·’ă·lê·nū Yah·weh ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ šə·mōw qə·ḏō·wōš yiś·rā·’êl — WLC · 4
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“Sit in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of the Chaldeans. For you will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.
𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤃𐤅𐤌𐤌 𐤅𐤁𐤀𐤉 𐤁𐤇𐤔𐤊 𐤁𐤕 𐤊𐤔𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤊𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤅𐤎𐤉𐤐𐤉 𐤉𐤒𐤓𐤀𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤂𐤁𐤓𐤕 𐤌𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤅𐤕
שְׁבִ֥י דוּמָ֛ם וּבֹ֥אִי בַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ בַּת־ כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תוֹסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־ לָ֔ךְ גְּבֶ֖רֶת מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ šə·ḇî ḏū·mām ū·ḇō·’î ḇa·ḥō·šeḵ baṯ- kaś·dîm kî lō ṯō·w·sî·p̄î yiq·rə·’ū- lāḵ gə·ḇe·reṯ mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ — WLC · 5
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I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them… no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke…
𐤒𐤑𐤐𐤕𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤏𐤌𐤉 𐤇𐤋𐤋𐤕𐤉 𐤍𐤇𐤋𐤕𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤕𐤍𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤊 𐤔𐤌𐤕 𐤋𐤄𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤓𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤆𐤒𐤍 𐤏𐤋𐤊 𐤌𐤀𐤃 𐤄𐤊𐤁𐤃𐤕
קָצַ֣פְתִּי עַל־ עַמִּ֗י חִלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ נַחֲלָתִ֔י וָאֶתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיָדֵ֑ךְ שַׂ֤מְתְּ לָהֶם֙ לֹא־ רַחֲמִ֔ים עַל־ זָקֵ֕ן עֻלֵּ֖ךְ מְאֹֽד׃ הִכְבַּ֥דְתְּ qā·ṣap̄·tî ‘al- ‘am·mî ḥil·lal·tî na·ḥă·lā·ṯî wā·’et·tə·nêm bə·yā·ḏêḵ śamt lā·hem lō- ra·ḥă·mîm ‘al- zā·qên ‘ul·lêḵ mə·’ōḏ hiḵ·baḏt — WLC · 6
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You said, ‘I will be queen forever You did not take these things to heart… or consider their outcome.
𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤀𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤂𐤁𐤓𐤕 𐤋𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤌 𐤏𐤃 𐤋𐤀 𐤔𐤌𐤕 𐤀𐤋𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤋𐤀 𐤆𐤊𐤓𐤕 𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤕𐤄𐤎
וַתֹּ֣אמְרִ֔י אֶהְיֶ֣ה גְבָ֑רֶת לְעוֹלָ֖ם עַ֣ד לֹא־ שַׂ֥מְתְּ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ עַל־ לִבֵּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א זָכַ֖רְתְּ אַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃ס wat·tō·mə·rî ’eh·yeh ḡə·ḇā·reṯ lə·‘ō·w·lām ‘aḏ lō- śamt ’êl·leh ‘al- lib·bêḵ lō zā·ḵart ’a·ḥă·rî·ṯāh — WLC · 7
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So now hear this, O lover of luxury who sits securely…, who says to herself, ‘I [am], and there is none besides me. I will never… be a widow… or know the loss of children.’
𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤉 𐤆𐤀𐤕 𐤏𐤃𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤋𐤁𐤈𐤇 𐤄𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤄 𐤁𐤋𐤁𐤁𐤄 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤐𐤎𐤉 𐤏𐤅𐤃 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤔𐤁 𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤃𐤏 𐤔𐤊𐤅𐤋
וְעַתָּ֞ה שִׁמְעִי־ זֹ֤את עֲדִינָה֙ הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָ֔בָהּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י ע֑וֹד לֹ֤א אֵשֵׁב֙ אַלְמָנָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע שְׁכֽוֹל׃ wə·‘at·tāh šim·‘î- zōṯ ‘ă·ḏî·nāh hay·yō·wō·še·ḇeṯ lā·ḇe·ṭaḥ hā·’ō·mə·rāh bil·ḇā·ḇāh ’ă·nî wə·’ap̄·sî ‘ō·wḏ lō ’ê·šêḇ ’al·mā·nāh wə·lō ’ê·ḏa‘ šə·ḵō·wl — WLC · 8
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These two [things] will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells…
𐤀𐤋𐤄 𐤔𐤕𐤉 𐤅𐤕𐤁𐤀𐤍𐤄 𐤋𐤊 𐤓𐤂𐤏 𐤀𐤇𐤃 𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤔𐤊𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍 𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤊 𐤊𐤕𐤌𐤌 𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤊𐤔𐤐𐤉𐤊 𐤁𐤏𐤑𐤌𐤕 𐤇𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤌𐤀𐤃
אֵ֥לֶּה שְׁתֵּי־ וְתָבֹאנָה֩ לָּ֨ךְ רֶ֛גַע אֶחָ֖ד בְּי֥וֹם שְׁכ֣וֹל וְאַלְמֹ֑ן בָּ֣אוּ עָלַ֔יִךְ כְּתֻמָּם֙ בְּרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בְּעָצְמַ֥ת חֲבָרַ֖יִךְ מְאֹֽד׃ ’êl·leh šə·tê- wə·ṯā·ḇō·nāh lāḵ re·ḡa‘ ’e·ḥāḏ bə·yō·wm šə·ḵō·wl wə·’al·mōn bā·’ū ‘ā·la·yiḵ kə·ṯum·mām bə·rōḇ kə·šā·p̄a·yiḵ bə·‘ā·ṣə·maṯ ḥă·ḇā·ra·yiḵ mə·’ōḏ — WLC · 9
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You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge… led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I [am], and there is none besides me.’
𐤅𐤕𐤁𐤈𐤇𐤉 𐤁𐤓𐤏𐤕𐤊 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤓𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤕𐤊 𐤅𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤊 𐤄𐤉𐤀 𐤔𐤅𐤁𐤁𐤕𐤊 𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤁𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤐𐤎𐤉 𐤏𐤅𐤃
וַתִּבְטְחִ֣י בְרָעָתֵ֗ךְ אָמַרְתְּ֙ אֵ֣ין רֹאָ֔נִי חָכְמָתֵ֥ךְ וְדַעְתֵּ֖ךְ הִ֣יא שׁוֹבְבָ֑תֶךְ וַתֹּאמְרִ֣י בְלִבֵּ֔ךְ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֥י עֽוֹד׃ wat·tiḇ·ṭə·ḥî ḇə·rā·‘ā·ṯêḵ ’ā·mart ’ên rō·’ā·nî ḥā·ḵə·mā·ṯêḵ wə·ḏa‘·têḵ hî šō·wḇ·ḇā·ṯeḵ wat·tō·mə·rî ḇə·lib·bêḵ ’ă·nî wə·’ap̄·sî ‘ō·wḏ — WLC · 10
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But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable… to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly…
𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤀 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤊 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤃𐤏𐤉 𐤔𐤇𐤓𐤄 𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤐𐤋 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤊 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤅𐤊𐤋𐤉 𐤊𐤐𐤓𐤄 𐤔𐤅𐤀𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤁𐤀 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤊 𐤐𐤕𐤀𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤃𐤏𐤉
רָעָ֗ה וּבָ֧א עָלַ֣יִךְ לֹ֤א תֵדְעִי֙ שַׁחְרָ֔הּ הֹוָ֔ה וְתִפֹּ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ לֹ֥א תוּכְלִ֖י כַּפְּרָ֑הּ שׁוֹאָ֖ה וְתָבֹ֨א עָלַ֧יִךְ פִּתְאֹ֛ם לֹ֥א תֵדָֽעִי׃ rā·‘āh ū·ḇā ‘ā·la·yiḵ lō ṯê·ḏə·‘î šaḥ·rāh hō·wāh wə·ṯip·pōl ‘ā·la·yiḵ lō ṯū·ḵə·lî kap·pə·rāh šō·w·’āh wə·ṯā·ḇō ‘ā·la·yiḵ piṯ·’ōm lō ṯê·ḏā·‘î — WLC · 11
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So take your stand… with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤍𐤀 𐤁𐤇𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤅𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤊𐤔𐤐𐤉𐤊 𐤁𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤂𐤏𐤕 𐤌𐤍𐤏𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤀𐤅𐤋𐤉 𐤕𐤅𐤊𐤋𐤉 𐤄𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤋 𐤀𐤅𐤋𐤉 𐤕𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤑𐤉
עִמְדִי־ נָ֤א בַחֲבָרַ֙יִךְ֙ וּבְרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגַ֖עַתְּ מִנְּעוּרָ֑יִךְ אוּלַ֛י תּוּכְלִ֥י הוֹעִ֖יל אוּלַ֥י תַּעֲרֽוֹצִי׃ ‘im·ḏî- nā ḇa·ḥă·ḇā·ra·yiḵ ū·ḇə·rōḇ kə·šā·p̄a·yiḵ ba·’ă·šer yā·ḡa·‘at min·nə·‘ū·rā·yiḵ ’ū·lay tū·ḵə·lî hō·w·‘îl ’ū·lay ta·‘ă·rō·w·ṣî — WLC · 12
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You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers… who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate…
𐤍𐤋𐤀𐤉𐤕 𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤏𐤑𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤉𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤅 𐤍𐤀 𐤅𐤉𐤅𐤔𐤉𐤏𐤊 𐤄𐤁𐤓𐤅 𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤇𐤆𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤊𐤅𐤊𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤇𐤃𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤅𐤃𐤉𐤏𐤌 𐤌𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤊
נִלְאֵ֖ית בְּרֹ֣ב עֲצָתָ֑יִךְ יַעַמְדוּ־ נָ֨א וְיוֹשִׁיעֻ֜ךְ הָבְרוּ שָׁמַ֗יִם הַֽחֹזִים֙ בַּכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים לֶחֳדָשִׁ֔ים מֽוֹדִיעִם֙ מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֖אוּ עָלָֽיִךְ׃ nil·’êṯ bə·rōḇ ‘ă·ṣā·ṯā·yiḵ ya·‘am·ḏū- nā wə·yō·wō·šî·‘uḵ hå̄·ḇə·rū šā·ma·yim ha·ḥō·zîm bak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîm le·ḥo·ḏā·šîm mō·w·ḏî·‘im mê·’ă·šer yā·ḇō·’ū ‘ā·lā·yiḵ — WLC · 13
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Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.
𐤄𐤍𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤅 𐤊𐤒𐤔 𐤀𐤔 𐤔𐤓𐤐𐤕𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤑𐤉𐤋𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤌 𐤌𐤉𐤃 𐤋𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤂𐤇𐤋𐤕 𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤌 𐤀𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤍𐤂𐤃𐤅
הִנֵּ֨ה הָי֤וּ כְקַשׁ֙ אֵ֣שׁ שְׂרָפָ֔תַם לֹֽא־ יַצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־ נַפְשָׁ֖ם מִיַּ֣ד לֶֽהָבָ֑ה אֵין־ גַּחֶ֣לֶת לַחְמָ֔ם א֖וּר לָשֶׁ֥בֶת נֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ hin·nêh hā·yū ḵə·qaš ’êš śə·rā·p̄ā·ṯam lō- yaṣ·ṣî·lū ’eṯ- nap̄·šām mî·yaḏ le·hā·ḇāh ’ên- ga·ḥe·leṯ laḥ·mām ’ūr lā·še·ḇeṯ neḡ·dōw — WLC · 14
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This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
𐤊𐤍 𐤄𐤉𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤂𐤏𐤕 𐤎𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤌𐤍𐤏𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤕𐤏𐤅 𐤋𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤅 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤅𐤔𐤉𐤏𐤊𐤎
כֵּ֥ן הָיוּ־ לָ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָגָ֑עַתְּ סֹחֲרַ֣יִךְ מִנְּעוּרַ֗יִךְ אִ֤ישׁ תָּע֔וּ לְעֶבְרוֹ֙ אֵ֖ין מוֹשִׁיעֵֽךְ׃ס kên hā·yū- lāḵ ’ă·šer yā·ḡā·‘at sō·ḥă·ra·yiḵ min·nə·‘ū·ra·yiḵ ’îš tā·‘ū lə·‘eḇ·rōw ’ên mō·wō·šî·‘êḵ — WLC · 15