< Isaiah 14 >

1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will again make choice of Israel, and replace them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined unto them, and they shall attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.
2 And nations shall take them, and bring them to their own place; but the house of Israel shall obtain possession of them in the land of the Lord for men-servants and for maid-servants; and they shall take captive their captors, and they shall rule over their oppressors.
The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
3 And it shall come to pass on the day when the Lord will give thee rest from thy trouble, and from thy vexation, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,
It will happen in the day that the LORD will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,
4 That thou wilt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath ceased the oppressor! ceased the exactress of gold!
that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased. How the attacker has ceased."
5 Broken hath the Lord the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of rulers;
The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,
6 He who smote people in wrath, blows without intermission, he that ruled in anger nations, persecuting without restraint.
who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.
7 At rest, quiet is all the earth; men break forth into loud song.
The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song.
8 Also, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, the cedars of Lebanon, “Since thou wast laid low, no feller is come up against us.”
Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us."
9 The nether world from below is in motion concerning thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the departed for thee, all the chief ones of the earth; it hath caused to rise up from their thrones all the kings of nations. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. (Sheol h7585)
10 They all will commence and say unto thee, “Thou—thou also art become weak like us; similar unto us art thou become!”
They all will answer and ask you, "Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?"
11 Into the nether world is brought down thy pride, the clatter of thy psalteries: beneath thee is spread the worm, and thy cover is the moth. (Sheol h7585)
Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you. (Sheol h7585)
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O morning-star, son of the dawn! how art thou hewn down to the ground, crusher of nations!
How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn. How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low.
13 And thou—thou hadst said in thy heart, “Into heaven will I ascend, above the stars of God will I exalt my throne; and I will sit also upon the mount of the assembly, in the farthest end of the north;
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be equal to the Most High.”
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But into the nether world shalt thou be brought down, into the lowest depth. (Sheol h7585)
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit. (Sheol h7585)
16 They that see thee will gaze at thee, will regard thee well, [saying, ] “Is this the man that caused the earth to tremble, that made kingdoms quake?
Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;
17 That rendered the world as a wilderness, and pulled down its cities: never opened the prison-house of his prisoners?”
who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who did not release his prisoners to their home?"
18 All the kings of nations, all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own [eternal] house.
All the kings of the nations lie in splendor, everyone in his own house.
19 But thou—thou art cast out of thy grave like a discarded offshoot, as a garment of those that are slain, pierced by the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, as a carcass trodden under foot.
But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot.
20 Thou shalt not be united with them in burial; because thy land hast thou destroyed, thy people hast thou slain: to eternity shall not be called the seed of evil-doers.
You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The offspring of evildoers will not be mentioned forever.
21 Prepare for his children the slaughter, for the iniquity of their fathers: that they may not rise, and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with enemies [of mankind].
Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.
22 And I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will cut off from Babylon name, and remnant, and son, and grandson, saith the Lord.
"I will rise up against them," says the LORD of hosts, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son," says the LORD.
23 I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.
"I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says the LORD of hosts.
24 Sworn hath the Lord of hosts, saying, Surely as I have purposed, so doth it come to pass; and as I have resolved, so shall it occur:
The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
25 To break Asshur in my own land, and upon my mountains will I tread him under foot; then shall his yoke be removed from off them, and his burden from off their shoulders.
that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.
26 This is the resolve that is resolved over all the earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts hath resolved, and who shall frustrate it? and it is his hand which is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"
28 In the year king Achaz died was this prophecy [given].
This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died.
29 Rejoice not, thou entire Palestine, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder, and its fruit shall be a flying dragon.
Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.
30 And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall rest in safety: and I will kill with famine thy root, and men shall slay thy remnant.
The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.
31 Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; thou art dissolved, O thou entire Palestine; for from the north a smoke is coming, and there is no one solitary among those that are bidden to come.
Howl, gate. Cry, city. You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 And what will each one of the messengers of the nation answer? That the Lord hath founded Zion; and that therein shall find protection the poor of his people.
What then is one to answer the messengers of this nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.

< Isaiah 14 >