[1] Come and take your seat in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; come
down from your seat of power, and take your place on the earth, O daughter
of the Chaldaeans: for you will never again seem soft and delicate. [2]
Take the crushing-stones and get the meal crushed: take off your veil, put
away your robe, let your legs be uncovered, go through the rivers. [3] The
shame of your unclothed condition will be seen by all: I will give
punishment without mercy, [4] Says the Lord who takes up our cause; the
Lord of armies is his name, the Holy One of Israel. [5] Be seated in the
dark without a word, O daughter of the Chaldaeans: for you will no longer
be named, The Queen of Kingdoms. [6] I was angry with my people, I put
shame on my heritage, and gave them into your hands: you had no mercy on
them; you put a cruel yoke on those who were old; [7] And you said, I will
be a queen for ever: you did not give attention to these things, and did
not keep in mind what would come after. [8] So now take note of this, you
who are given up to pleasure, living without fear of evil, saying in your
heart, I am, and there is no one like me; I will never be a widow, or have
my children taken from me. [9] But these two things will come on you
suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure
they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders. [10]
For you had faith in your evil-doing; you said, No one sees me; by your
wisdom and knowledge you have been turned out of the way: and you have said
in your heart, I am, and there is no other. [11] Because of this evil will
come on you, which may not be turned away for any price: and trouble will
overtake you, from which no money will give salvation: destruction will
come on you suddenly, without your knowledge. [12] Go on now with your
secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself
up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you,
or by them you may put fear into your attackers. [13] But your mind is
troubled by the number of your guides: let them now come forward for your
salvation: the measurers of the heavens, the watchers of the stars, and
those who are able to say from month to month what things are coming on
you. [14] Truly, they have become like dry stems, they have been burned in
the fire; they are not able to keep themselves safe from the power of the
flame: it is not a coal for warming them, or a fire by which a man may be
seated. [15] Small profit have you had from those who, from your earliest
days, got great profit out of you; they have gone in flight, every one
straight before him, and you have no saviour.
