以賽亞書47:1-15

47:1 巴比倫的處女啊，下來坐在塵埃；迦勒底的閨女啊，沒有寶座，要坐在地上；因為你不再稱為柔弱嬌嫩的。
47:2 要用磨磨麵，揭去帕子，脫去長衣，露腿蹚河。
47:3 你的下體必被露出；你的醜陋必被看見。我要報仇，誰也不寬容。
47:4 我們救贖主的名是萬軍之耶和華─以色列的聖者。
47:5 迦勒底的閨女啊，你要默然靜坐，進入暗中，因為你不再稱為列國的主母。
47:6 我向我的百姓發怒，使我的產業被褻瀆，將他們交在你手中，你毫不憐憫他們，把極重的軛加在老年人身上。
47:7 你自己說：我必永為主母，所以你不將這事放在心上，也不思想這事的結局。
47:8 你這專好宴樂、安然居住的，現在當聽這話。你心中說：惟有我，除我以外再沒有別的。我必不致寡居，也不遭喪子之事。
47:9 哪知，喪子、寡居這兩件事在一日轉眼之間必臨到你；正在你多行邪術、廣施符咒的時候，這兩件事必全然臨到你身上。
47:10 你素來倚仗自己的惡行，說：無人看見我。你的智慧聰明使你偏邪，並且你心裡說：惟有我，除我以外再沒有別的。
47:11 因此，禍患要臨到你身，你不知何時發現（或譯：如何驅逐）；災害落在你身上，你也不能除掉；所不知道的毀滅也必忽然臨到你身。
47:12 站起來吧！用你從幼年勞神施行的符咒和你許多的邪術；或者可得益處，或者可得強勝。
47:13 你籌劃太多，以致疲倦。讓那些觀天象的，看星宿的，在月朔說預言的，都站起來，救你脫離所要臨到你的事。
47:14 他們要像碎秸被火焚燒，不能救自己脫離火焰之力；這火並非可烤的炭火，也不是可以坐在其前的火。
47:15 你所勞神的事都要這樣與你無益；從幼年與你貿易的也都各奔各鄉，無人救你。

Come down and sit in the dust,

virgin daughter Babylon!

Sit on the ground without a throne,

daughter Chaldea!

For you shall no more be called

tender and delicate.

2

Take the millstones and grind meal,

remove your veil,

strip off your robe, uncover your legs,

pass through the rivers.

3

Your nakedness shall be uncovered,

and your shame shall be seen.

I will take vengeance,

and I will spare no one.

4

Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—

is the Holy One of Israel.

5

Sit in silence, and go into darkness,

daughter Chaldea!

For you shall no more be called

the mistress of kingdoms.

6

I was angry with my people,

I profaned my heritage;

I gave them into your hand,

you showed them no mercy;

on the aged you made your yoke

exceedingly heavy.

7

You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”

so that you did not lay these things to heart

or remember their end.

8

Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,

who sit securely,

who say in your heart,

“I am, and there is no one besides me;

I shall not sit as a widow

or know the loss of children”—

9

both these things shall come upon 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.

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,

“I am, and there is no one besides me.”

11

But evil shall come upon you,

which you cannot charm away;

disaster shall fall upon you,

which you will not be able to ward off;

and ruin shall come on you suddenly,

of which you know nothing.

12

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 consultations;

let those who study the heavens

stand up and save you,

those who gaze at the stars,

and at each new moon predict

what shall befall you.

14

See, they are like stubble,

the fire consumes them;

they cannot deliver themselves

from the power of the flame.

No coal for warming oneself is this,

no fire to sit before!

15

Such to you are those with whom you have labored,

who have trafficked with you from your youth;

they all wander about in their own paths;

there is no one to save you.

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    先知以賽亞發預言說到巴比倫將要滅亡，失去她原有的光彩，導致她的子民要受到羞辱。尤其是婦女不可以再心高氣傲，自以為還有主母風光的日子好過。這一切即將過去了，因為上帝要讓巴比倫敗亡！

    巴比倫代表反對上帝勢力的世界強權，這樣的國家的首領常常以為國家強盛了，自己就可以像上帝一般在世界上呼風喚雨，甚至可以敵對上帝的權柄，反對耶穌基督的救恩，不知謙卑倚靠上帝，反倒高舉自己。

    歷史上讓我們看見，凡是自以為大的勢力，終究抵擋不過時間的限制，有一天就會過去，無法存到永永遠遠！因為，人的受造是在乎上帝，人是無法與上帝相爭的，只能倚靠上帝。

    也因此，人要倚靠上帝，不是倚靠勢力和才能，這些有一日都會過去的，唯有遵行上帝旨意的人永遠常存！