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Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Isaiah 47:12

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!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Idolatry;   Sorcery;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Divination;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Incantations;   Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Micah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Servant of the Lord;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Sorcery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Divination;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Zion;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Enchantment;   Magic;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Magic;   Superstition;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So take your stand with your spellsand your many sorceries,which you have wearied yourself with from your youth.Perhaps you will be able to succeed;perhaps you will inspire terror!
Hebrew Names Version
Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror.
New American Standard Bible
"Persist now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to benefit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.
New Century Version
"Keep on using your tricks and doing all your magic that you have used since you were young. Maybe they will help you; maybe you will be able to scare someone.
Amplified Bible
"Persist, then, [Babylon] in your enchantments And your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit [from them], Perhaps you may prevail and cause trembling.
World English Bible
Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Stand now among thine inchanters, and in the multitude of thy southsaiers (with whome thou hast wearied thy selfe from thy youth) if so be thou maist haue profit, or if so be thou maist haue strength.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Stand fast now in your spellsAnd in your many sorceriesWith which you have labored from your youth;Perhaps you will be able to profit;Perhaps you may cause trembling.
Contemporary English Version
Keep using your magic powers and your charms as you have always done. Maybe—just maybe— you will frighten somebody!
Complete Jewish Bible
So for now, keep on with your powerful spells and your many occult practices; from childhood you have been working at them; maybe they will do you some good, maybe you will inspire terror!
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
You worked hard all your life learning magic and spells. So start using that magic. Maybe those spells will help you. Maybe you will be able to frighten someone.
George Lamsa Translation
Stand now with your magicians and with the multitude of your sorceries in which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to profit, perhaps you may strengthen yourself.
Good News Translation
Keep all your magic spells and charms; you have used them since you were young. Perhaps they will be of some help to you; perhaps you can frighten your enemies.
Lexham English Bible
Stand, now, in your enchantments, and in your many sorceries with which you have labored from your youth. Perhaps you may be able to benefit; perhaps you may scare away.
Literal Translation
Stand now among your spells, and with your many sorceries, in which you have wearied yourself since your youth. Perhaps you will be able to profit; perhaps you may cause quaking.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now go to thy coniurers, and to the multitude of thy witches, (whom thou hast bene acquanted withal from thi youth) yf they maye helpe the, or strengthe the.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
Stand now with thine inchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profite, if so be thou mayest preuaile.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe go to thy coniurers, and to the multitude of thy witches with whom thou hast weeryed thy selfe from thy youth, if thei may helpe thee or strength thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the abundance of thy sorcery, which thou hast learned from thy youth; if thou canst be profited.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Stonde thou with thin enchauntours, and with the multitude of thi witchis, in whiche thou trauelidist fro thi yongthe; if in hap thei profiten ony thing to thee, ether if thou maist be maad the strongere.
Update Bible Version
Stand now with your magic words, and with the multitude of your witchcraft, wherein you have labored from your youth; perhaps you shall be able to profit, perhaps you may prevail.
Webster's Bible Translation
Stand now with thy enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou hast labored from thy youth; if thou shalt be able to profit, if thou mayest prevail.
New English Translation
Persist in trusting your amulets and your many incantations, which you have faithfully recited since your youth! Maybe you will be successful— maybe you will scare away disaster.
New King James Version
"Stand now with your enchantments And the multitude of your sorceries, In which you have labored from your youth-- Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you will prevail.
New Living Translation
"Now use your magical charms! Use the spells you have worked at all these years! Maybe they will do you some good. Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.
New Life Bible
"Keep on with your sinful secret ways and all your witchcraft that you have used since you were young. It might be that you will get something from it. Maybe you can cause fear.
New Revised Standard
Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed, perhaps you may inspire terror.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Take thy stand, I pray thee, With thy spells. And with the throng of thine incantations wherein thou hast wearied thyself from thy youth, - Peradventure thou mayest be able to profit Peradventure thou mayest strike me with terror.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Stand now with thy enchanters, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, in which thou hast laboured from thy youth, if so be it may profit thee any thing, or if thou mayst become stronger.
Revised Standard Version
Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed, perhaps you may inspire terror.
Young's Literal Translation
Stand, I pray thee, in thy charms, And in the multitude of thy sorceries, In which thou hast laboured from thy youth, It may be thou art able to profit, It may be thou dost terrify!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Stand fast now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling.

Contextual Overview

7You said, 'I will be queen forever.' You did not take these things to heart or consider their outcome. 8So now hear this, O lover of luxury, who sits securely, who says to herself, 'I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children.' 9These 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. 10You 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.' 11But 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. 12So 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!13You are wearied from your many counsels. So let them stand and save you-the astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate. 14Surely 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. 15This 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 47:9, Isaiah 47:10, Isaiah 8:19, Isaiah 19:3, Isaiah 44:25, Exodus 7:11, Exodus 8:7, Exodus 8:18, Exodus 8:19, Exodus 9:11, Jeremiah 2:28, Daniel 5:7-9, Nahum 3:4, Acts 13:8-12, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Revelation 17:4-6

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:22 - as one Genesis 8:21 - the imagination Genesis 41:8 - the magicians of Egypt Numbers 22:6 - I wot Numbers 22:25 - crushed Balaam's Numbers 22:38 - have I Numbers 23:8 - General 1 Samuel 6:2 - called 2 Kings 17:17 - used Ecclesiastes 10:15 - labour Isaiah 2:6 - and are Jeremiah 10:2 - be Jeremiah 27:9 - dreamers Daniel 1:20 - the magicians Daniel 2:2 - General Daniel 2:27 - cannot Daniel 4:6 - to bring Daniel 4:18 - forasmuch Daniel 5:8 - but Daniel 5:15 - General Micah 3:7 - the seers Acts 19:19 - used Revelation 9:21 - their sorceries Revelation 22:15 - sorcerers

Cross-References

Genesis 45:11
And there I will provide for you, because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you and your household and everything you own will come to destitution.'
Genesis 47:1
So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: "My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen."
Genesis 47:4
Then they said to Pharaoh, "We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flock of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen."
Genesis 47:6
the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock."
Genesis 47:10
Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
Genesis 47:13
Yet there was no food throughout that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.
Genesis 47:21
and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.
Genesis 47:24
At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children."
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Ruth 4:15
He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries,.... An ironic expression, deriding those evil arts, bidding defiance to them, calling upon the masters of them to do their utmost by them:

wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; from the infancy of their state; as soon as their monarchy was founded, or they became a people, they were given to these practices, and were famous for them; and in which, no doubt, many among them were brought up from their youth; and to gain the knowledge of which they were at great labour and expense; and yet it was all in vain, and to no purpose:

if so be thou shall be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail; if skill in these things can be of any advantage to keep off the impending calamity, and fortify against the powerful enemy that will quickly surprise thee; try if by thine art thou canst foresee the danger, and prevent it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Stand now with thy enchantments - (See the notes at Isaiah 47:9). This is evidently sarcastic and ironical. It is a call on those who practiced the arts of magic to stand forth, and to show whether they were able to defend the city, and to save the nation.

Wherein thou hast labored - Or in practicing which thou hast been diligently employed.

From thy youth - From the very commencement of thy national existence. Babylon was always distinguished for these arts. Now was a time when their value was to be put to the test, and when it was to be seen whether they were able to save the nation.

If so be - Or perhaps or possibly, they may be able to profit thee - the language of irony. Perhaps by the aid of these arts you may be able to repel your foes.


 
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