Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.
Therefore, disaster will come upon you, and you won't know where it's coming from. Trouble will fall on you, and you won't be able to stop it or push it away. Destruction will come upon you suddenly, catching you completely off guard.
God is warning that judgment will come unexpectedly and unavoidably to those who oppose Him, leaving them powerless to prevent or escape it.
📚 Historical Context
This prophecy is directed against Babylon, the mighty empire that conquered Jerusalem and took the Jewish people into exile around 586 BC. Isaiah is prophesying that despite Babylon's power, wealth, and confidence in their own wisdom and magic, they will face sudden destruction that they cannot foresee or prevent. This warning came true when the Persian Empire under Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
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