Babylon Will Fall
The Lord said:
1 City of Babylon,
You are delicate
and untouched,
but that will change.
Surrender your royal power
and sit in the dirt.
2 Start grinding grain!
Take off your veil.
Strip off your fancy clothes
and wade across rivers.
3 You will suffer the shame
of going naked,
because I will take revenge,
and no one can escape.
4 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the holy God of Israel.
I am their Savior.
5 Babylon, be silent!
Sit in the dark.
No longer will nations
accept you as their queen.
6 I was angry with my people.
So I let you take their land
and bring disgrace on them.
You showed them no mercy,
but were especially cruel
to those who were old.
7 You thought that you
would be queen forever.
You didn't care what you did;
it never entered your mind
that you might get caught.
8 You think that you alone
are all-powerful,
that you won't be a widow
or lose your children.
All you care about is pleasure,
but listen to what I say.
9 Your magic powers and charms
will suddenly fail,
then you will be a widow
and lose your children.
10 You hid behind evil
like a shield and said,
“No one can see me!”
You were fooled by your wisdom
and your knowledge;
you felt sure that you alone
were in full control.
11 But without warning,
disaster will strike—
and your magic charms
won't help at all.
12 Keep using your magic powers
and your charms
as you have always done.
Maybe—just maybe—
you will frighten somebody!
13 You have worn yourself out,
asking for advice
from those who study the stars
and tell the future
month after month.
Go ask them how to be saved
from what will happen.
14 People who trust the stars
are as helpless as straw
in a flaming fire.
No one can even keep warm,
sitting by a fire
that feeds only on straw.
15 These are the fortunetellers
you have done business with
all of your life.
But they don't know
where they are going,
and they can't save you.
Bābeles pazemošana
1 “Zemē, pīšļos sēdi,
jaunava, Bābeles meita,
sēdi zemē, ne tronī,
kaldiešu meita!
Tevi vairs nesauks
par mīļo un maigo!
2 Ņem dzirnas un mal miltus,
novelc savu apsegu,
noģērb savas drānas,
lai tev plikas ciskas,
kad bridīsi pāri upei!
3 Lai tavs plikums top redzams,
lai redz tavu kaunu, –
es nu atriebšos un cilvēka netaupīšu!”
4 Mūsu Izpircējs,
Pulku Kungs ir viņa vārds,
Israēla Svētais! –
5 “Mīti klusumā un dzīvo tumsā,
kaldiešu meita,
tevi vairs nesauks
par valstību kundzi!
6 Es noskaitos uz savu tautu,
es sagānīju savu mantojumu –
es to atdevu tavās rokās,
bet tu tiem žēlsirdību neizrādīji:
pat vecam tu uzkrāvi
savu smago jūgu!
7 Tu sacīji:
uz mūžiem es būšu kundze,
uz visiem laikiem! –
Tas tev vis prātā nebija –
savu galu tu neapdomāji!
8 Nu klausies, baudkārā,
kas drošībā mīti,
kas savā prātā domā:
es tik un nevienas citas,
es atraitnēs nesēdēšu,
es bezbērne nebūšu!
9 Nu abas lietas
tev tiks vienā dienā –
tu būsi bezbērne un atraitne!
Tās nāks pār tevi,
kaut tev daudz burvestību,
kaut tava vārdošana ir stipra!
10 Paļaudamās uz savu ļaunumu,
tu saki: neviens mani neredz! –
Bet tava gudrība un zināšana tevi pievīlušas,
kaut savā sirdī teici:
es tik, un nevienas citas! –
11 Pār tevi nāks ļaunums,
pret to tu vārdus nezini,
tev uzkritīs nelaime,
to novērst tu nevarēsi –
piepeši pār tevi nāks posts,
ko tu pat nenojaut!
12 Ņemies ar savu vārdošanu
un daudzajām burvestībām,
ar kurām jau kopš jaunības esi ņēmusies,
varbūt tev paveiksies,
varbūt vēl kādu iebaidīsi!
13 Tevi nogurdinājuši daudzie padomnieki,
lai tad nāk un glābj tevi debesu vērotāji,
tie, kas lūkojas zvaigznēs,
tie, kas ik mēnesi izzina,
kam jānāk pār tevi!
14 Re, tie ir kā salmi, ko uguns aizdegusi,
tie nevar glābt paši sevi no liesmu mutes –
nav ogļu, kur sildīties,
nav uguns, pie kā pasēdēt!
15 Tādi pret tevi būs tie,
ar ko tu noņēmies,
kas ar tevi jau kopš jaunības pinušies –
katrs uz savu pusi tie klīst,
nav, kas tevi glābj!”
