Isaiah 47

1 “Go down [to a lower place, descend] and sit in the dust [dry earth, clay], O Virgin [untouched, private] Daughter of Babylon [city of confusion]. Sit on the ground [land, soil] without a throne [seat of power, authority], O Daughter [female child, woman] of Chaldea [region of wisdom and astrology]! For you will no longer be called [invited, named] tender [soft, weak] or delicate [dainty, requiring careful handling]. word study 2 Take [grasp, seize] millstones [heavy stones for grinding] and grind [crush, pulverize] flour [fine powder]; remove [lift, uncover] your veil [head covering]; strip off [bare, expose] your skirt [long, flowing robe], bare [uncover, reveal] your thigh [leg], and wade [pass over, cross] through the streams [rivers]. word study 3 Your nakedness [unclothed condition, shame] will be uncovered [revealed, exposed] and your shame [reproach, disgrace] will be exposed [seen, visible]. I will take [get, exact] vengeance [revenge, punishment]; I will spare [pity, have mercy on] no one [no man, none].” word study 4 Our Redeemer [the one who frees us, the Commander of the armies of angels]—the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people or things] is His name [His identity, honor, and character]— is the Holy [set apart, sacred] One of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, and his descendants]. word study 5 “Sit [in stillness, quietly] in silence [stillness, quietness] and go [enter, come] into darkness [the absence of light, spiritual gloom], O Daughter [female child, woman] of Chaldea [the region of the Chaldeans, Babylon]. For [because, since] you will no longer [not again] be called [named, referred to as] the queen [lady, mistress] of kingdoms [nations, dominions]. word study 6 I was angry [wroth, intensely furious] with My people [Amaw, a nation or tribe]; I profaned [polluted, desecrated] My heritage [inheritance, a gift or legacy], and I placed them under your control [hand, power or authority]. You showed them no mercy [compassion, tender love]; even on the elderly [old, aged] you laid a most heavy [exceedingly burdensome] yoke [a wooden beam]. word study 7 You said, ‘I will be [a lady, mistress, or queen] queen forever [to the age, always].’ You did not take [lay to your heart, consider] these things [these matters, events] to heart [your mind, feelings, or will] or consider [remember, think about] their outcome [the latter end, the results]. word study 8 So now [at this moment, in this present time] hear [listen and obey] this, O lover of luxury [given to pleasures, voluptuous] who sits [dwells, remains] securely [in confidence, without fear], who says [speaks, declares] to herself, ‘I am [I exist, I am self-sufficient], and there is none [no one, nothing] besides me [apart from me, like me]. I will never [not at all, under no circumstances] be a widow [bereaved, without a husband] or know [experience, understand] the loss [bereavement, sorrow] of children [offspring, descendants].’ word study 9 These two [a pair, a duo] things will overtake you in a moment [a brief instant, a fleeting second], in a single day [one 24-hour period, a solitary rotation of the earth]: loss of children [bereavement, childlessness], and widowhood [the state of being without a spouse, aloneness]. They will come upon you in full measure [completely, to the fullest extent], in spite of your many sorceries [magical practices, enchantments] and the potency [strength, power] of your spells [incantations, charms]. word study 10 You were secure [confident, trusting] in your wickedness [evil actions, moral harm]; you said [declared, proclaimed], ‘No one [none, nothing] sees me [looks after me, provides for me].’ Your wisdom [skill, prudence, discernment] and knowledge [understanding, insight] led you astray [deceived, perverted]; you told yourself [said in your heart, thought], ‘I am [exist, have being], and there is none [no one, nothing] besides me [except me, apart from me].’ word study 11 But disaster [evil, calamity, mischief] will come upon you [suddenly, without warning]; you will not know [be aware of, understand] how to charm [ward off, put away] it away. A calamity [misfortune, ruin] will befall you that you will be unable [not have the power, cannot] to ward off [put it off, atone for]. Devastation [destruction, desolation, shoa] will happen to you suddenly [quickly, without expectation] and unexpectedly [without knowledge, unaware]. word study 12 So take your stand [with confidence, in a strong sense, like Moses in Exodus 17:12] with your spells [enchantments, magic arts] and with your many sorceries [diverse witchcraft, wonder-working], with which you have wearied [toiled, labored] yourself from your youth [early days, formative years]. Perhaps [if not, peradventure] you will succeed [be able, have power]; perhaps [if so be] you will inspire terror [tremble, dread]! word study 13 You are wearied [exhausted, tired] by your many counselors [advisers, guides]; let them come forward now and save [rescue, deliver] you— your astrologers [stargazers, those who observe the heavens] who observe [study, gaze at] the stars [celestial bodies], who monthly [every month, regularly] predict [foretell, prophesy] your fate [destination, future]. word study 14 Surely they are like [dry and worthless] stubble; the fire [burning, flame] will burn them up. They cannot [are utterly unable to] deliver themselves from the power of the flame [the fierce and intense heat]. There will be no coals [burning embers] to warm them or fire [a flame, a burning] to sit beside [to dwell, remain]. word study 15 This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored [labored and toiled, been weary] and traded [exchanged goods, done business] from [your earliest days, the beginning of] youth— each one [man, individual] strays [goes astray, wanders] in his own direction [path, side]; not one of them can [rescue, deliver, save] save you. word study