< Isaiah 47 >

1 [Yahweh also says], “You people of Babylon, you should go and sit in the dust/dirt [to show that you are mourning], because your time to rule [MTY] [other countries] is almost ended. People will never again say that Babylonia is beautiful [like] a very attractive/beautiful young woman.
רְדִ֣י ׀ וּשְׁבִ֣י עַל־עָפָ֗ר בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־בָּבֶ֔ל שְׁבִי־לָאָ֥רֶץ אֵין־כִּסֵּ֖א בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תֹוסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ רַכָּ֖ה וַעֲנֻגָּֽה׃
2 [You will be slaves, so] take heavy stones and grind grain [like slave women do]. Take off your [beautiful] veils and take off your robes [as you prepare to cross streams to go where you will be forced to go].
קְחִ֥י רֵחַ֖יִם וְטַ֣חֲנִי קָ֑מַח גַּלִּ֨י צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ חֶשְׂפִּי־שֹׁ֛בֶל גַּלִּי־שֹׁ֖וק עִבְרִ֥י נְהָרֹֽות׃
3 You will be naked and [very] ashamed. I will get vengeance on you and not pity you.”
תִּגָּל֙ עֶרְוָתֵ֔ךְ גַּ֥ם תֵּרָאֶ֖ה חֶרְפָּתֵ֑ךְ נָקָ֣ם אֶקָּ֔ח וְלֹ֥א אֶפְגַּ֖ע אָדָֽם׃ ס
4 The one who frees us [people of Judah], whom we call ‘the Commander of the armies of angels’, is the Holy One of Israel.
גֹּאֲלֵ֕נוּ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות שְׁמֹ֑ו קְדֹ֖ושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
5 [Yahweh says], “You people of Babylon, sit silently in the darkness, because people will never again say that your city is [like] [MET] a queen that rules many kingdoms.
שְׁבִ֥י דוּמָ֛ם וּבֹ֥אִי בַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תֹוסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ גְּבֶ֖רֶת מַמְלָכֹֽות׃
6 I was angry with the people whom I chose [to belong to me], and I punished them. I allowed you [people of Babylon] to conquer them. But [when you conquered them], you did not have mercy on them. You (oppressed/treated cruelly) [MET] even the old people.
קָצַ֣פְתִּי עַל־עַמִּ֗י חִלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ נַחֲלָתִ֔י וָאֶתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיָדֵ֑ךְ לֹא־שַׂ֤מְתְּ לָהֶם֙ רַחֲמִ֔ים עַל־זָקֵ֕ן הִכְבַּ֥דְתְּ עֻלֵּ֖ךְ מְאֹֽד׃
7 You said, ‘We will rule [other nations] forever; [it is as though our city] will be the queen [of the world] forever!’ But you did not think about the things [that you were doing], or think about what would result.
וַתֹּ֣אמְרִ֔י לְעֹולָ֖ם אֶהְיֶ֣ה גְבָ֑רֶת עַ֣ד לֹא־שַׂ֥מְתְּ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ עַל־לִבֵּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א זָכַ֖רְתְּ אַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃ ס
8 You people [of Babylon] who enjoy pleasure and sex, listen to this: You enjoy a luxurious life and you feel secure. You say, ‘We are [like gods], and there are no others like us. Our women will never become widows, and our children will never be killed [in wars].’
וְעַתָּ֞ה שִׁמְעִי־זֹ֤את עֲדִינָה֙ הַיֹּושֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָ֔בָהּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י עֹ֑וד לֹ֤א אֵשֵׁב֙ אַלְמָנָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע שְׁכֹֽול׃
9 But both of those things will happen to you suddenly: Many of your women will become widows and many of your children will die, even though you perform much sorcery and many kinds of magic [to prevent bad things from happening to you].
וְתָבֹאנָה֩ לָּ֨ךְ שְׁתֵּי־אֵ֥לֶּה רֶ֛גַע בְּיֹ֥ום אֶחָ֖ד שְׁכֹ֣ול וְאַלְמֹ֑ן כְּתֻמָּם֙ בָּ֣אוּ עָלַ֔יִךְ בְּרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בְּעָצְמַ֥ת חֲבָרַ֖יִךְ מְאֹֽד׃
10 You felt protected even though you were doing many wicked things, and you said, ‘No one will see what we [are doing]!’ [You thought that] you were very wise and knew many things, and you said, ‘We are gods, and there are no others like us,’ but you deceived yourselves.
וַתִּבְטְחִ֣י בְרָעָתֵ֗ךְ אָמַרְתְּ֙ אֵ֣ין רֹאָ֔נִי חָכְמָתֵ֥ךְ וְדַעְתֵּ֖ךְ הִ֣יא שֹׁובְבָ֑תֶךְ וַתֹּאמְרִ֣י בְלִבֵּ֔ךְ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֥י עֹֽוד׃
11 So you will experience terrible things, and you will not be able to prevent them by working magic. You will experience disasters, and you will not be able to pay anyone to prevent those things from happening. (A catastrophe/Something terrible) will happen to you suddenly, something that you will not realize [is about to happen].
וּבָ֧א עָלַ֣יִךְ רָעָ֗ה לֹ֤א תֵדְעִי֙ שַׁחְרָ֔הּ וְתִפֹּ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ הֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א תוּכְלִ֖י כַּפְּרָ֑הּ וְתָבֹ֨א עָלַ֧יִךְ פִּתְאֹ֛ם שֹׁואָ֖ה לֹ֥א תֵדָֽעִי׃
12 So you can continue to perform all your magic spells [IRO]! You can perform the many kinds of sorcery that you have practiced for many years! Perhaps [doing those things will enable you to] be successful; perhaps you will be able to cause your enemies to be afraid of you!
עִמְדִי־נָ֤א בַחֲבָרַ֙יִךְ֙ וּבְרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגַ֖עַתְּ מִנְּעוּרָ֑יִךְ אוּלַ֛י תּוּכְלִ֥י הֹועִ֖יל אוּלַ֥י תַּעֲרֹֽוצִי׃
13 But [all that has resulted from your] doing all the things that the magicians have told you to do is that you have become tired! The men who look at the stars every month and predict what will happen should come forward and rescue you [from the disasters that you are about to experience].
נִלְאֵ֖ית בְּרֹ֣ב עֲצָתָ֑יִךְ יַעַמְדוּ־נָ֨א וְיֹושִׁיעֻ֜ךְ הָבְרוּ (הֹבְרֵ֣י) שָׁמַ֗יִם הַֽחֹזִים֙ בַּכֹּ֣וכָבִ֔ים מֹֽודִיעִם֙ לֶחֳדָשִׁ֔ים מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֖אוּ עָלָֽיִךְ׃
14 But [they cannot do that, because] they are like [SIM] straw that is burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from being burned up in the flames. Those men are unable to help you [MET]; they are as useless as stubble [that burns quickly and produces no heat] for you.
הִנֵּ֨ה הָי֤וּ כְקַשׁ֙ אֵ֣שׁ שְׂרָפָ֔תַם לֹֽא־יַצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־נַפְשָׁ֖ם מִיַּ֣ד לֶֽהָבָ֑ה אֵין־גַּחֶ֣לֶת לַחְמָ֔ם א֖וּר לָשֶׁ֥בֶת נֶגְדֹּֽו׃
15 The people whom you have associated with and worked with since you were young [will not help you], because they will just continue doing their own foolish things, and they will not pay any attention to you [when you cry out for help].”
כֵּ֥ן הָיוּ־לָ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָגָ֑עַתְּ סֹחֲרַ֣יִךְ מִנְּעוּרַ֗יִךְ אִ֤ישׁ לְעֶבְרֹו֙ תָּע֔וּ אֵ֖ין מֹושִׁיעֵֽךְ׃ ס

< Isaiah 47 >