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Isaiah 47
Expanded Bible
Isaiah 47
Expanded Bible
God Will Destroy Babylon
47 The Lord says, “·City of [L Virgin daughter] Babylon, go down and sit in the ·dirt [dust].
·People of Babylon [L Daughter of the Chaldeans], sit on the ground.
·You are no longer the ruler [L …without a throne].
You will no longer be called
tender or ·beautiful [delicate; pampered].
2 Take millstones and grind grain into flour.
Remove your veil and ·take [strip] off your nice skirts.
Uncover your legs and cross the rivers [C actions of a servant, not a queen].
3 People will see your nakedness;
they will see your shame [C probably a euphemism for sexual organs].
I will ·punish you [take vengeance];
I will ·punish every one of you [spare no one].”
4 Our ·Savior [Redeemer] is named the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts];
he is the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
5 “·Babylon [L Daughter of the Chaldeans], sit in ·darkness and say nothing [L silence and go into darkness].
You will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.
6 I was angry with my people,
so I ·rejected [defiled; desecrated; profaned] ·those who belonged to me [my inheritance/possession].
I gave them ·to you [L into your hand],
but you showed them no mercy.
You even ·made the old people
work very hard [L laid a very heavy yoke on the aged].
7 You said, ‘I will ·live [reign; be] forever as the queen.’
But you did not think about these things
or consider ·what would happen [the outcome/end].
8 “Now, listen, you lover of pleasure.
You ·think you are safe [who dwell in security].
You tell yourself,
‘·I am the only one [L I am], and there is no other [Zeph. 2:15].
I will never be a widow
or ·lose [L know the loss of] my children.’
9 Two things will happen to you suddenly, in a single day.
You will lose your children and ·your husband [L become a widow].
These things will ·truly happen to [or overwhelm; L come in abundance upon] you,
in spite of all your ·magic [sorceries],
in spite of your powerful ·tricks [spells; enchantments].
10 You ·do evil things, but you feel safe [L trusted/felt secure in your evil/wickedness]
and say, ‘No one sees ·what I do [L me].’
Your wisdom and knowledge
have ·fooled [mislead] you.
You say to yourself,
‘·I am the only one [L I am], and there is no other [v. 8].’
11 But ·troubles [disaster; evil] will come ·to [upon] you,
and you will not know how to ·stop them [conjure/charm it away].
·Disaster [Calamity; Destruction] will fall on you,
and you will not be able to ·keep it away [appease it; make atonement/pay ransom for it].
A catastrophe will strike ·quickly [suddenly];
you will not even ·see it coming [L know].
12 “Keep on using your ·tricks [magic spells; enchantments]
and doing all your ·magic [sorceries]
that you have ·used [practiced; labored at] since you were young.
Maybe ·they will help you [you will succeed/profit];
maybe you will be able to ·scare someone [provoke terror].
13 You are tired of the ·advice [counsel] you have received.
So let ·those who study the sky [the astrologers; L those who divide the heavens]—
those who ·tell the future by looking at the stars and the new moons [L gaze at the stars to know the months]—
let them save you from what is about to happen to you.
14 But they are like straw;
fire will quickly burn them up.
They cannot save themselves
from the power of the fire.
They are not like coals that give warmth
nor like a fire that you may sit beside.
15 You have ·worked [labored] with these people,
and they have ·been [or done business] with you since you were young,
but they will not be able to help you.
Everyone will ·go [or wander off] his own way,
and there will be no one left to save you.”
Isaiah 47
New International Version
Isaiah 47
New International Version
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Go down, sit in the dust,(A)
Virgin Daughter(B) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
queen city of the Babylonians.[a](C)
No more will you be called
tender or delicate.(D)
2 Take millstones(E) and grind(F) flour;
take off your veil.(G)
Lift up your skirts,(H) bare your legs,
and wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness(I) will be exposed
and your shame(J) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;(K)
I will spare no one.(L)”
5 “Sit in silence,(Q) go into darkness,(R)
queen city of the Babylonians;(S)
no more will you be called
queen(T) of kingdoms.(U)
6 I was angry(V) with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;(W)
I gave them into your hand,(X)
and you showed them no mercy.(Y)
Even on the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7 You said, ‘I am forever(Z)—
the eternal queen!’(AA)
But you did not consider these things
or reflect(AB) on what might happen.(AC)
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security(AD)
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.(AE)
I will never be a widow(AF)
or suffer the loss of children.’
9 Both of these will overtake you
in a moment,(AG) on a single day:
loss of children(AH) and widowhood.(AI)
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries(AJ)
and all your potent spells.(AK)
10 You have trusted(AL) in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’(AM)
Your wisdom(AN) and knowledge mislead(AO) you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Disaster(AP) 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(AQ) come upon you.
12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
and with your many sorceries,(AR)
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!(AS)
Let your astrologers(AT) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save(AU) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(AV)
the fire(AW) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.(AX)
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(AY) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
there is not one that can save(AZ) you.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 47:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 5
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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