^1. «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. «Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

^3. «Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not [1] spare a man.»

^4. Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.

^5. « 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 heritage And gave them into your hand. You did not show mercy to them, On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

^7. «Yet you said, "I will be a queen forever.' These things you did not consider Nor remember the outcome of [2] them.

^8. «Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in [3] your heart, " I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.'

^9. «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. «You felt secure in your wickedness and said, " No one sees me,' Your wisdom and your knowledge, [4] they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart, " I am, and there is no one besides me.'

^11. «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. «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. «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. «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. «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 [5] way; There is none to save you.