1 Come and take your seat in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; come down from your seat of power, and take your place on the earth, O daughter of the Chaldaeans: for you will never again seem soft and delicate.2 Take the crushing-stones and get the meal crushed: take off your veil, put away your robe, let your legs be uncovered, go through the rivers.3 The shame of your unclothed condition will be seen by all: I will give punishment without mercy,4 Says the Lord who takes up our cause; the Lord of armies is his name, the Holy One of Israel.5 Be seated in the dark without a word, O daughter of the Chaldaeans: for you will no longer be named, The Queen of Kingdoms.6 I was angry with my people, I put shame on my heritage, and gave them into your hands: you had no mercy on them; you put a cruel yoke on those who were old;7 And you said, I will be a queen for ever: you did not give attention to these things, and did not keep in mind what would come after.8 So now take note of this, you who are given up to pleasure, living without fear of evil, saying in your heart, I am, and there is no one like me; I will never be a widow, or have my children taken from me.9 But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.10 For you had faith in your evil-doing; you said, No one sees me; by your wisdom and knowledge you have been turned out of the way: and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is no other.11 Because of this evil will come on you, which may not be turned away for any price: and trouble will overtake you, from which no money will give salvation: destruction will come on you suddenly, without your knowledge.12 Go on now with your secret arts, and all your wonder-working, to which you have given yourself up from your earliest days; it may be that they will be of profit to you, or by them you may put fear into your attackers.13 But your mind is troubled by the number of your guides: let them now come forward for your salvation: the measurers of the heavens, the watchers of the stars, and those who are able to say from month to month what things are coming on you.14 Truly, they have become like dry stems, they have been burned in the fire; they are not able to keep themselves safe from the power of the flame: it is not a coal for warming them, or a fire by which a man may be seated.15 Small profit have you had from those who, from your earliest days, got great profit out of you; they have gone in flight, every one straight before him, and you have no saviour.

1 [Descende, sede in pulvere,virgo filia Babylon :sede in terra ; non est soliumfili Chaldorum,quia ultra non vocaberismollis et tenera.2 Tolle molam, et mole farinam ;denuda turpitudinem tuam ;discooperi humerum, revela crura,transi flumina.3 Revelabitur ignominia tua,et videbitur opprobrium tuum ;ultionem capiam, et non resistet mihi homo.4 Redemptor noster, Dominus exercituum nomen illius,Sanctus Isral.5 Sede tacens, et intra in tenebras,filia Chaldorum,quia non vocaberis ultradomina regnorum.6 Iratus sum super populum meum :contaminavi hreditatem meam,et dedi eos in manu tua :non posuisti eis misericordias ;super senem aggravasti jugum tuum valde.7 Et dixisti : In sempiternum ero domina.Non posuisti hc super cor tuum,neque recordata es novissimi tui.8 Et nunc audi hc delicata,et habitans confidenter,qu dicis in corde tuo :Ego sum, et non est prter me amplius ;non sedebo vidua,et ignorabo sterilitatem.9 Venient tibi duo hcsubito in die una,sterilitas et viduitas :universa venerunt super te,propter multitudinem maleficiorum tuorum,et propter duritiam incantatorum tuorum vehementem.10 Et fiduciam habuisti in malitia tua,et dixisti : Non est qui videat me.Sapientia tua et scientia tua,hc decepit te.Et dixisti in corde tuo :Ego sum, et prter me non est altera.11 Veniet super te malum,et nescies ortum ejus ;et irruet super te calamitasquam non poteris expiare ;veniet super te repente miseriaquam nescies.12 Sta cum incantatoribus tuiset cum multitudine maleficiorum tuorum,in quibus laborasti ab adolescentia tua,si forte quod prosit tibi,aut si possis fieri fortior.13 Defecisti in multitudine consiliorum tuorum.Stent, et salvent teaugures cli,qui contemplabantur sidera,et supputabant menses,ut ex eis annuntiarent ventura tibi.14 Ecce facti sunt quasi stipula,ignis combussit eos ;non liberabunt animam suamde manu flamm ;non sunt prun quibus calefiant,nec focus ut sedeant ad eum.15 Sic facta sunt tibi in quibuscumque laboraveras :negotiatores tui ab adolescentia tua,unusquisque in via sua erraverunt ;non est qui salvet te.]