[2] Calling from the sunrising a bird of prey.—Kay.
Calling an eagle from the east.—Birks and Arnold.
eighth prophecy.—chap. xlvii.
Fall of Babel, the Capital of the Empire of the World.
1. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin-daughter Babel; sit on the ground without a throne,[1] O Chaldean’s daughter! For men no longer call thee delicate and voluptuous. 2. Take the mill, and grind meal; throw back thy train, uncover thy thigh, wade through streams. 3. Let thy nakedness be uncovered, even let thy shame be seen; I shall take vengeance, and[2] not spare men. 4. Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is His name, Holy One of Israel.
5. Sit silent, and creep into the darkness, O Chaldean’s daughter! for men no longer call thee lady of kingdoms. 6. I was wroth with My people; I polluted mine inheritance, and gave them into thy hand: thou hast shown them no mercy; upon old men thou laidst thy yoke very heavily. 7. And thou saidst, I shall be lady for ever; so that thou didst not take these things to heart; thou didst not consider the latter end thereof.
8. And now hear this, thou voluptuous one, she who sitteth so securely, who sayeth in her heart, I am it, and none else; I shall not sit a widow, nor experience bereavement of children. 9. And these two come upon thee suddenly in one day: bereavement of children and widowhood; they come upon thee in fullest measure, in spite of the multitude of thy sorceries, in spite of the great abundance of thy witchcrafts. 10. Thou trustedst in thy wickedness, and saidst, No one seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, they led thee astray; so that thou saidst in thy heart, I am it, and none else. 11. And misfortune cometh upon thee, which[3] thou understandest not how to charm away: and destruction will fall upon thee, which thou canst not atone for; for there will come suddenly upon thee ruin which thou suspectest not.
12. Come near, then, with thy enchantments, and with the multitude of thy witchcrafts, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth: perhaps thou canst profit, perhaps thou canst inspire terror. 13. Thou art wearied through the multitude of thy consultations;[4] let the dissectors of the heavens come near, then, and save thee, the star-gazers, they who with every new moon bring things to light that will come upon thee. 14. Behold, they have become like stubble: fire has consumed them; there is not a red-hot coal to warm themselves, a hearth-fire to sit before. 15. So[5] it is with thy people, for whom thou hast laboured: thy partners in trade from thy youth, they wander away every one in his own direction; no one who brings salvation to thee.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Sit on the ground throneless.—Kay.