巴比伦的覆灭
1“巴比伦的少女啊，
下来坐在尘土中吧！
迦勒底的姑娘啊，
坐在没有宝座的地上吧！
因为你必不再娇柔细嫩。
2你要推磨磨面，
揭下面纱，掀起裙子，
露出大腿，涉水过河。
3你必赤身裸体，
露出羞处。
我必报仇，不放过一人。
4我们的救赎主是以色列的圣者，
祂名叫万军之耶和华。
5“迦勒底的姑娘啊，
要静静地坐着，进入黑暗中，
因为你不再被称为列国之后。
6我曾向我的子民发怒，
让我的产业被玷污，
把他们交在你手中。
你对他们毫不留情，
甚至让老人负极重的轭。
7你声称要永远做王后，
不把这些事放在心上，
也不思想以后的结局。
8“淫逸安舒的人啊，听着！
你以为天地间唯你独尊，
你必不致寡居，
也不会遭丧子之痛。
9谁知寡居、丧子二事却忽然在同一天临到你身上。
即使你懂得许多邪术和符咒，
也于事无补。
10“你肆无忌惮地行恶，
自以为没有人看见。
你被自己的聪明智慧欺骗，
自以为天下无双。
11你必大祸临头，
不知如何祛灾避祸。
灾祸必落在你身上，
无可挽回。
你意想不到的祸患必突然来到。
12“你自幼就勤练符咒和五花八门的邪术，继续施展吧！
也许会有用处，
也许会令人害怕。
13众多的计谋使你疲惫不堪，
让那些观天象、
每月说预言的占星家来救你脱离将临的灾祸吧！
14“看啊，他们不过像枯草，
必遭焚烧，
无法救自己脱离烈焰。
这火并非取暖的炭火，
也不是人可以靠近的火。
15你自幼交往的占星家帮不上你，
他们都四散奔逃，无人救你。
1Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. 2Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. 4As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. 5Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
6¶ I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
7¶ And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. 8Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: 9But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.
10¶ For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.47.10 perverted…: or, caused thee to turn away
11¶ Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.47.11 from…: Heb. the morning thereof47.11 put: Heb. expiate 12Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. 13Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.47.13 astrologers: Heb. viewers of the heavens47.13 the monthly…: Heb. that give knowledge concerning the months 14Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.47.14 themselves: Heb. their souls 15Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.
