⁷ You said, ‘I am forever^(A)—
    the eternal queen!’^(B)
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect^(C) on what might happen.^(D)

⁸ “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security^(E)
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.^(F)
I will never be a widow^(G)
    or suffer the loss of children.’
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(H) on a single day:
    loss of children^(I) and widowhood.^(J)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(K)
    and all your potent spells.^(L)
10 You have trusted^(M) in your wickedness
    and have said, ‘No one sees me.’^(N)
Your wisdom^(O) and knowledge mislead^(P) you
    when you say to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
¹¹ Disaster^(Q) will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly^(R) come upon you.

¹² “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,^(S)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
¹³ All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!^(T)
    Let your astrologers^(U) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save^(V) you from what is coming upon you.
¹⁴ Surely they are like stubble;^(W)
    the fire^(X) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.^(Y)
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
¹⁵ That is all they are to you—
    these you have dealt with
    and labored^(Z) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save^(AA) you.