Isaiah 47
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1“Come down, and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of the Chaldeans. For you will no longer be called tender and delicate. 2Take the millstones, and grind flour. Remove your veil, lift up your skirt, uncover your legs, and wade through the rivers. 3Your nakedness will be uncovered. Yes, your shame will be seen. I will take vengeance, and will spare no one.” 4Our Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies is his name, is the Holy One of Israel. 5“Sit in silence, and go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans. For you shall no longer be called the mistress of kingdoms. 6I was angry with my people. I profaned my inheritance, and gave them into your hand. You showed them no mercy. You laid a very heavy yoke on the aged. 7You said, ‘I will be a princess forever;’ so that you did not lay these things to your heart, nor did you remember the results. 8“Now therefore hear this, you who are given to pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.’ 9But these two things shall come to you in a moment in one day, the loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in their full measure, in the multitude of your sorceries, and the great abundance of your enchantments. 10For you have trusted in your wickedness. You have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and your knowledge has perverted you. You have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’ 11Therefore disaster will come on you. You won’t know when it dawns. Mischief will fall on you. You won’t be able to put it away. Desolation will come on you suddenly, which you don’t understand. 12“Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; as if you might profit; as if you might prevail. 13You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Now let the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators, stand up and save you from the things that will come on you. 14Behold, they are like stubble. The fire will burn them. They won’t deliver themselves from the power of the flame. It won’t be a coal to warm at or a fire to sit by. 15The things that you labored in will be like this: those who have trafficked with you from your youth will each wander in his own way. There will be no one to save you.
World English Bible (public domain)
“"You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, 'No one sees me'; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me.'"”
Isaiah 47:10
Summary
Isaiah 47 presents a prophetic lament over Babylon, foretelling its inevitable downfall and humiliation. The chapter opens with vivid imagery depicting Babylon as a woman stripped of her imperial luxury and brought to shame. This reflects God's judgment against their pride and oppression. Babylon, once mighty and untouchable, is depicted as a slave in dust, no longer revered. The passage highlights God's sovereignty and justice, demonstrating that earthly powers are ultimately subject to divine authority. Central to this chapter is the theme of God's retribution for Babylon's arrogance and cruelty, as they are reminded that their confidence in their own wisdom and charms will not save them. The theological significance underscores the certainty of God's judgment against sin and the futility of trusting in anything other than Him.
Key Themes
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