1 C ome down, and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground; there is no throne for you, O Daughter of the Chaldeans, for you shall no longer be called dainty and delicate.

“ Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate.

2 T ake the millstones and grind meal; take off your veil and uncover your hair. Remove your skirt, bare your leg, wade through the rivers.

“Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

3 Y our nakedness shall be exposed, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no man,

“Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.”

4 o ur Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel.

Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.

5 S it in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the lady and mistress of kingdoms.

“ Sit silently, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, For you will no longer be called The queen of kingdoms.

6 I was angry with My people, I profaned My inheritance; and I gave them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; upon the old people you made your yoke very heavy.

“I was angry with My people, I profaned My heritage And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

7 A nd you said, I shall be the mistress forever! So you did not lay these things to heart, nor did you remember the certain, ultimate end of such conduct.

“Yet you said, ‘I will be a queen forever.’ These things you did not consider Nor remember the outcome of them.

8 T herefore now, hear this, you who love pleasures and are given over to them, you who dwell safely and sit securely, who say in your mind, I am and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children.

“Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in your heart, ‘ I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.’

9 B ut these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of the multitude of power given you by the assistance of evil spirits, in spite of the great abundance of your enchantments.

“But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of your spells.

10 F or you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart and mind, I am, and there is no one besides me.

“You felt secure in your wickedness and said, ‘ No one sees me,’ Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart, ‘ I am, and there is no one besides me.’

11 T herefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know the dawning of it or how to charm it away. And a disaster and evil shall fall upon you that you shall not be able to atone for; and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, about which you shall know nothing or how to avert it.

“But evil will come on you Which you will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which you cannot atone; And destruction about which you do not know Will come on you suddenly.

12 P ersist, then, with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; and see if perhaps you will be able to profit, if you will prevail and strike terror!

“Stand fast now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.

13 Y ou are wearied with your many counsels and plans. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and make known to you and save you from the things that shall come upon you.

“You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.

14 B ehold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them. They cannot even deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There is no coal for warming or fire before which to sit!

“Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

15 S uch to you shall they be, those with whom you have labored and such their fate, those who have done business with you from your youth; they will wander, every one to his own quarter and in his own direction. No one will save you.

“So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way; There is none to save you.