Isaiah 47:12

Judgment

¹⁰ You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

¹¹ But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.

So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!

¹³ You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

¹⁴ Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
KJV: Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
WEB: “Stand now with your enchantments and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth, as if you might profit, as if you might prevail.
ASV: Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
DARBY: Stand now with thine enchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to turn them to profit, if so be thou mayest cause terror.
BLB: Stand now with your spells, and with the multitude of your sorceries with which you have labored from your youth! Perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will inspire terror!

ÅB: Stå fram med dine besvergelser og med dine mangfoldige trolldomskunster, som du har gjort deg strev med fra din ungdom av! Kanskje du kunne hjelpe deg med dem, kanskje du kunne skremme ulykken bort.
OTB: “Fortsett med dine besvergelser og dine mange trolldomskunster, som du har praktisert siden din ungdom. Kanskje du vil lykkes, kanskje du vil forårsake skjelving.
B1930: Stå frem med dine besvergelser og med dine mangfoldige trolldomskunster, som du har gjort dig møie med fra din ungdom av! Kanskje du kunde hjelpe dig med dem, kanskje du kunde skremme ulykken bort.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 13:8–12
But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
Read in context
Isaiah 47:9–10
These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
Read in context
Nahum 3:4
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.
Read in context
Jeremiah 2:28
But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.
Read in context
Revelation 17:4–6
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
Read in context
Exodus 8:7
But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
Read in context
Daniel 5:7–9
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Read in context
Isaiah 8:19
When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
Read in context