Isaiah 47:9-13

The Humiliation of Babylon

9 u These two things shall come to you
in a moment, v in one day;
the loss of children and widowhood
shall come upon you in full measure,
w in spite of your many sorceries
and the great power of your enchantments.

10 You felt secure in your wickedness,
you said, "No one sees me";
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
x "I am, and there is no one besides me."
 11 But evil shall come upon you,
which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you will not be able to atone;
y and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing.

12 z Stand fast in your enchantments
and your many sorceries,
with which you have labored from your youth;
perhaps you may be able to succeed;
perhaps you may inspire terror.
 13 You are wearied with your many counsels;
let them stand forth and save you,
a those who divide the heavens,
who gaze at the stars,
who at the new moons make known
what shall come upon you.

  1. Cross References
    Isaiah 51:19
    These two things have happened to you - who will console you? - devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you?
  2. Cross References
    Jeremiah 50:31
    Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
  3. Cross References
    Isaiah 47:12 - 13
    Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror.
    Nahum 3:4
    And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms.
  4. Cross References
    Isaiah 45:6
    That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
    Isaiah 45:18
    For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the Lord, and there is no other.
    Jeremiah 50:29
    Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
  5. Cross References
    Psalms 35:8
    Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it - to his destruction!
    Jeremiah 51:41
    How Babylon is taken, the praise of the whole earth seized! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
  6. Cross References
    Isaiah 47:9
    These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.
  7. Cross References
    Isaiah 44:25
    Who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish.
    Daniel 2:2
    Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
    Daniel 2:10
    The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.