Isaiæ 47
1 [Descende, sede in pulvere, virgo filia Babylon: sede in terra; non est solium filiæ Chaldæorum, quia ultra non vocaberis mollis et tenera.
Come down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of the Chaldeans. You will no longer be called dainty and delicate.
2 Tolle molam, et mole farinam; denuda turpitudinem tuam; discooperi humerum, revela crura, transi flumina.
Take the millstone and grind flour; remove your veil, strip off your flowing robe, uncover your legs, cross the streams.
3 Revelabitur ignominia tua, et videbitur opprobrium tuum; ultionem capiam, et non resistet mihi homo.
Your nakedness will be uncovered, yes, your shame will be seen: I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.
4 Redemptor noster, Dominus exercituum nomen illius, Sanctus Israël.
Our Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.
5 Sede tacens, et intra in tenebras, filia Chaldæorum, quia non vocaberis ultra domina regnorum.
Sit in silence and go into darkness, daughter of the Chaldeans; for you will no longer be called queen of kingdoms.
6 Iratus sum super populum meum: contaminavi hæreditatem meam, et dedi eos in manu tua: non posuisti eis misericordias; super senem aggravasti jugum tuum valde.
I was angry with my people; I defiled my heritage and gave them over into your hand, but you showed them no mercy; you placed a very heavy yoke on the old people.
7 Et dixisti: In sempiternum ero domina. Non posuisti hæc super cor tuum, neque recordata es novissimi tui.
You said, “I will rule forever as sovereign queen.” You did not take these things to heart, nor did you consider how they would turn out.
8 Et nunc audi hæc delicata, et habitans confidenter, quæ dicis in corde tuo: Ego sum, et non est præter me amplius; non sedebo vidua, et ignorabo sterilitatem.
So now hear this, you who love pleasure and sit securely; you who say in your heart, “I exist, and there is no one else like me; I will never sit as a widow, nor will I ever experience loss of children.”
9 Venient tibi duo hæc subito in die una, sterilitas et viduitas: universa venerunt super te, propter multitudinem maleficiorum tuorum, et propter duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem.
But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day: the loss of children and widowhood; in full force they will come on you, despite your sorceries and your many incantations and amulets.
10 Et fiduciam habuisti in malitia tua, et dixisti: Non est qui videat me. Sapientia tua et scientia tua, hæc decepit te. Et dixisti in corde tuo: Ego sum, et præter me non est altera.
You have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge lead you astray, but you say in your heart, “I exist, and there is no one else like me.”
11 Veniet super te malum, et nescies ortum ejus; et irruet super te calamitas quam non poteris expiare; veniet super te repente miseria quam nescies.
Disaster will overcome you; you will not be able to drive it away with your incantations. Destruction will fall on you; you will not be able to ward it off. Calamity will strike you suddenly, before you know it.
12 Sta cum incantatoribus tuis et cum multitudine maleficiorum tuorum, in quibus laborasti ab adolescentia tua, si forte quod prosit tibi, aut si possis fieri fortior.
Persist in casting your spells and your many sorceries which you have faithfully recited since your childhood; perhaps you will be successful, perhaps you will scare away disaster.
13 Defecisti in multitudine consiliorum tuorum. Stent, et salvent te augures cæli, qui contemplabantur sidera, et supputabant menses, ut ex eis annuntiarent ventura tibi.
You are tired out with your many consultations; let those men stand up and save you—those who chart the heavens and look at the stars, those who declare the new moons—let them save you from what will happen to you.
14 Ecce facti sunt quasi stipula, ignis combussit eos; non liberabunt animam suam de manu flammæ; non sunt prunæ quibus calefiant, nec focus ut sedeant ad eum.
See, they will become like stubble. The fire will burn them up. They will not save themselves from the hand of the flame. There are no coals to warm them and no fire for them to sit by!
15 Sic facta sunt tibi in quibuscumque laboraveras: negotiatores tui ab adolescentia tua, unusquisque in via sua erraverunt; non est qui salvet te.]
This is what they have become to you— those with whom you have worked, and you have bought and sold with them since your youth— they wandered about each one in his own direction; there is no one who can rescue you.”
