Isaiah 47:13

Judgment

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.

¹² 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!

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.

¹⁵ This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.

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: 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.
KJV: Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
WEB: You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels. Now let the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from the things that will happen to you.
ASV: Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee.
DARBY: Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the interpreters of the heavens, the observers of the stars, who predict according to the new moons what shall come upon thee, stand up, and save thee.
BLB: You are wearied by the multitude of your counselors; let them stand up now and save you—those who divide up the heavens, and those gazing on the stars, declaring by month what will come upon you!

ÅB: Du har trettet deg ut med dine mange råd; la dem stå fram og frelse deg, de som har inndelt himmelen, stjernekikkerne, de som hver måned kunngjør de ting som skal komme over deg!
OTB: Du er trett av dine mange råd; la dine astrologer stå opp, de som stirrer på stjernene og spår ved nymånene, la dem redde deg fra det som kommer over deg.
B1930: Du har trettet dig ut med dine mange råd; la dem stå frem og frelse dig, de som har inndelt himmelen, stjernekikkerne, de som hver måned kunngjør de ting som skal komme over dig!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 44:25
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
Read in context
Daniel 2:2–10
So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king,
Read in context
Isaiah 57:10
You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.
Read in context
Ezekiel 24:12
It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire.
Read in context
Jeremiah 51:58
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames.”
Read in context
Daniel 5:30
That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain,
Read in context
Habakkuk 2:13
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
Read in context
Isaiah 47:15
This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
Read in context