רְדִ֣י ׀ וּשְׁבִ֣י עַל־עָפָ֗ר בְּתוּלַת֙ בַּת־בָּבֶ֔ל שְׁבִי־לָאָ֥רֶץ אֵין־כִּסֵּ֖א בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תוֹסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ רַכָּ֖ה וַעֲנֻגָּֽה׃ Get down, sit in the dust,
Fair Maiden Babylon;
Sit, dethroned, on the ground,
O Fair Chaldea;
Nevermore shall they call you
The tender and dainty one.
קְחִ֥י רֵחַ֖יִם וְטַ֣חֲנִי קָ֑מַח גַּלִּ֨י צַמָּתֵ֧ךְ חֶשְׂפִּי־שֹׁ֛בֶל גַּלִּי־שׁ֖וֹק עִבְרִ֥י נְהָרֽוֹת׃ Grasp the hand mill and grind meal.
Remove your veil,
Strip off your train, bare your leg,
Wade through the rivers.
תִּגָּל֙ עֶרְוָתֵ֔ךְ גַּ֥ם תֵּרָאֶ֖ה חֶרְפָּתֵ֑ךְ נָקָ֣ם אֶקָּ֔ח וְלֹ֥א אֶפְגַּ֖ע אָדָֽם׃ {פ}
Your nakedness shall be uncovered,
And your shame shall be exposed.
I will take vengeance,
And let no one intercede.
גֹּאֲלֵ֕נוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ קְד֖וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Our Redeemer—whose name is GOD of Hosts—
Is the Holy One of Israel.aAnd let no one intercede. / Our Redeemer—whose name is GOD of Hosts— / Is the Holy One of Israel Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “And not be appeased, / Says our Redeemer, whose name is GOD of Hosts, / The Holy One of Israel.”
שְׁבִ֥י דוּמָ֛ם וּבֹ֥אִי בַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ בַּת־כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כִּ֣י לֹ֤א תוֹסִ֙יפִי֙ יִקְרְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ גְּבֶ֖רֶת מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ Sit silent; retire into darkness,
O Fair Chaldea;
Nevermore shall they call you
Mistress of Kingdoms.
קָצַ֣פְתִּי עַל־עַמִּ֗י חִלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ נַחֲלָתִ֔י וָאֶתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיָדֵ֑ךְ לֹא־שַׂ֤מְתְּ לָהֶם֙ רַחֲמִ֔ים עַל־זָקֵ֕ן הִכְבַּ֥דְתְּ עֻלֵּ֖ךְ מְאֹֽד׃ I was angry at My people,
I defiled My heritage;
I put them into your hands,
But you showed them no mercy.
Even upon the aged you made
Your yoke exceedingly heavy.
וַתֹּ֣אמְרִ֔י לְעוֹלָ֖ם אֶהְיֶ֣ה גְבָ֑רֶת עַ֣ד לֹא־שַׂ֥מְתְּ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ עַל־לִבֵּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א זָכַ֖רְתְּ אַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃ {פ}
You thought, “I shall always be
The mistress still.”
You did not take these things to heart,
You gave no thought to the end of it.
וְעַתָּ֞ה שִׁמְעִי־זֹ֤את עֲדִינָה֙ הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔הּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י ע֑וֹד לֹ֤א אֵשֵׁב֙ אַלְמָנָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע שְׁכֽוֹל׃ And now hear this, O pampered one—
Who dwell in security,
Who think to yourself,
“I am, and there is none but me;
I shall not become a widow
Or know loss of children”—
וְתָבֹ֩אנָה֩ לָּ֨ךְ שְׁתֵּי־אֵ֥לֶּה רֶ֛גַע בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד שְׁכ֣וֹל וְאַלְמֹ֑ן כְּתֻמָּם֙ בָּ֣אוּ עָלַ֔יִךְ בְּרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בְּעׇצְמַ֥ת חֲבָרַ֖יִךְ מְאֹֽד׃ These two things shall come upon you,
Suddenly, in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood
Shall come upon you in full measure,
Despite your many enchantments
And all your countless spells.
וַתִּבְטְחִ֣י בְרָעָתֵ֗ךְ אָמַרְתְּ֙ אֵ֣ין רֹאָ֔נִי חׇכְמָתֵ֥ךְ וְדַעְתֵּ֖ךְ הִ֣יא שׁוֹבְבָ֑תֶךְ וַתֹּאמְרִ֣י בְלִבֵּ֔ךְ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֥י עֽוֹד׃ You were secure in your wickedness;
You thought, “No one can see me.”
It was your skill and your science
That led you astray.
And you thought to yourself,
“I am, and there is none but me.”
וּבָ֧א עָלַ֣יִךְ רָעָ֗ה לֹ֤א תֵֽדְעִי֙ שַׁחְרָ֔הּ וְתִפֹּ֤ל עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ הֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א תוּכְלִ֖י כַּפְּרָ֑הּ וְתָבֹ֨א עָלַ֧יִךְ פִּתְאֹ֛ם שֹׁאָ֖ה לֹ֥א תֵדָֽעִי׃ Evil is coming upon you
That you will not know how to charm away;bcharm away Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “bribe.”
Disaster is falling upon you
That you will not be able to appease;
Coming upon you suddenly
Is ruin of which you know nothing.
עִמְדִי־נָ֤א בַחֲבָרַ֙יִךְ֙ וּבְרֹ֣ב כְּשָׁפַ֔יִךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגַ֖עַתְּ מִנְּעוּרָ֑יִךְ אוּלַ֛י תּוּכְלִ֥י הוֹעִ֖יל אוּלַ֥י תַּעֲרֽוֹצִי׃ Stand up, with your spells and your many enchantments
On which you labored since youth!
Perhaps you’ll be able to profit,
Perhaps you will find strength.cwill find strength Taking ʻaraṣ as a variant of ʻaṣar; cf. 2 Chron. 20.37.
נִלְאֵ֖ית בְּרֹ֣ב עֲצָתָ֑יִךְ יַעַמְדוּ־נָ֨א וְיוֹשִׁיעֻ֜ךְ (הברו) [הֹבְרֵ֣י] שָׁמַ֗יִם הַחֹזִים֙ בַּכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים מֽוֹדִעִים֙ לֶחֳדָשִׁ֔ים מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֖אוּ עָלָֽיִךְ׃ You are helpless, despite all your art.
Let them stand up and help you now,
The scannersdscanners Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of heaven, the star-gazers,
Who announce, month by month,
Whatever will come upon you.
הִנֵּ֨ה הָי֤וּ כְקַשׁ֙ אֵ֣שׁ שְׂרָפָ֔תַם לֹא־יַצִּ֥ילוּ אֶת־נַפְשָׁ֖ם מִיַּ֣ד לֶהָבָ֑ה אֵין־גַּחֶ֣לֶת לַחְמָ֔ם א֖וּר לָשֶׁ֥בֶת נֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ See, they are become like straw,
Fire consumes them;
They cannot save themselves
From the power of the flame;
This is no coal for warming oneself,
No fire to sit by!
כֵּ֥ן הָיוּ־לָ֖ךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָגָ֑עַתְּ סֹחֲרַ֣יִךְ מִנְּעוּרַ֗יִךְ אִ֤ישׁ לְעֶבְרוֹ֙ תָּע֔וּ אֵ֖ין מוֹשִׁיעֵֽךְ׃ {ס} This is what they have profited you—
The traders you dealt with since youth—
They have all wandered off on separate paths,
There is none to save you.