Isaiah 14

1 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the stranger shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

2 And the peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and for handmaids; and they shall take them captive, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy travail, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve,

On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced,

4 that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say: How hath the oppressor ceased! the exactress of gold ceased!

you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!

5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers,

The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers.

6 That smote the peoples in wrath with an incessant stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.

It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing.

All the earth is at peace and at rest; they break out in song.

8 Yea, the cypresses rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon: 'Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.'

Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon exult over you: “Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes against us.”

9 The nether-world from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; the shades are stirred up for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; all the kings of the nations are raised up from their thrones. (Sheol h7585)

Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you— all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones. (Sheol h7585)

10 All they do answer and say unto thee: 'Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?

They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!”

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the nether-world, and the noise of thy psalteries; the maggot is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.' (Sheol h7585)

Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket. (Sheol h7585)

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, that didst cast lots over the nations!

How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

13 And thou saidst in thy heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, above the stars of God will I exalt my throne, and I will sit upon the mount of meeting, in the uttermost parts of the north;

You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to the nether-world, to the uttermost parts of the pit. (Sheol h7585)

But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. (Sheol h7585)

16 They that saw thee do narrowly look upon thee, they gaze earnestly at thee: 'Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble,

17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?'

who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”

18 All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house.

All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.

19 But thou art cast forth away from thy grave like an abhorred offshoot, in the raiment of the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the pavement of the pit, as a carcass trodden under foot.

But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever.

You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned.

21 Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

22 And I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and offshoot and offspring, saith the LORD.

“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,”

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

“I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying: Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand,

The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.

25 That I will break Asshur in My land, and upon My mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder.

I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”

26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.

27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?

28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

In the year that King Ahaz died, this burden was received:

29 Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a flying serpent.

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg.

30 And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain.

Then the firstborn of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety, but I will kill your root by famine, and your remnant will be slain.

31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; melt away, O Philistia, all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

32 What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of His people take refuge.

What answer will be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has founded Zion, where His afflicted people will find refuge.”