Isaiah 14
1 For YHWH loves Jacob, And has fixed again on Israel, And given them rest on their own land, And the sojourner has been joined to them, And they have been admitted to the house of Jacob.
Yahweh will have compassion on Jacob; he will again choose Israel and restore them into their own land. Foreigners will join with them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
2 And peoples have taken them, And have brought them to their place, And the house of Israel has inherited them, On the land of YHWH, For menservants and for maidservants, And they have been captors of their captors, And have ruled over their exactors.
The nations will bring them to their own place. Then the house of Israel will take them in the land of Yahweh as male and female servants. They will take captive those who had captured them, and they will rule over their oppressors.
3 And it has come to pass, In the day of YHWH’s giving rest to you, From your grief, and from your trouble, And from the sharp bondage, That has been served on you,
On the day that Yahweh gives you rest from your suffering and anguish, and from the hard labor which you were required to perform,
4 That you have taken up this allegory Concerning the king of Babylon, and said, “How the exactor has ceased,
you will sing this taunt song against the king of Babylon, “How the oppressor has come to an end, the proud fury ended!
5 The golden one has ceased. YHWH has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers.
Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of those rulers,
6 He who is striking peoples in wrath, A striking without intermission, He who is ruling nations in anger, Pursuing without restraint!
that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger, with an attack that was unrestrained.
7 At rest—all the earth has been quiet, They have broken forth [into] singing.
The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they begin celebrating with singing.
8 Even firs have rejoiced over you, Cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since you have lain down, The hewer does not come up against us.
Even the cypress trees rejoice over you with the cedars of Lebanon; they say, 'Since you are laid low, no woodcutter comes up to cut us down.'
9 Sheol beneath has been troubled at you, To meet your coming in, It is waking up Rephaim for you, All chief ones of earth, It has raised up from their thrones All kings of nations. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol below is eager to meet you when you go there. It arouses the dead for you, all the kings of the earth, making them rise up from their thrones, all the kings of the nations. (Sheol h7585)
10 All of them answer and say to you, Even you have become weak like us! You have become like to us!
They all will speak and say to you, 'You have become as weak as us. You have become like us.
11 Your excellence has been brought down to Sheol, The noise of your stringed instruments, The worm has been spread out under you, Indeed, the worm is covering you. (Sheol h7585)
Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol with the sound of your string instruments. Maggots are spread under you, and worms cover you.' (Sheol h7585)
12 How you have fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.
How you are fallen from heaven, daystar, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who conquered the nations!
13 And you said in your heart: I go up into the heavens, I raise my throne above the stars of God, And I sit on the mountain of meeting in the sides of the north.
You had said in your heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north.
14 I go up above the heights of a thick cloud, I am like to the Most High.
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High God.'
Yet you are now brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. (Sheol h7585)
16 Your beholders look to you, they attend to you, Is this the man causing the earth to tremble, Shaking kingdoms?
Those who see you will gaze at you and they will pay attention to you. They will say, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
17 He has made the world as a wilderness, And he has broken down his cities, He did not open the house of his bound ones.
who made the world like a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and did not let his prisoners go home?'
18 All kings of nations—all of them, Have lain down in glory, each in his house,
All the kings of the nations, all of them lie down in honor, each one in his own tomb.
19 And you have been cast out of your grave, As an abominable branch, raiment of the slain, Thrust through ones of the sword, Going down to the sons of the pit, As a carcass trodden down.
But you are cast out of your grave like a branch thrown away. The dead cover you like a garment, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit.
20 You are not united with them in burial, For you have destroyed your land, You have slain your people, The seed of evildoers is not named for all time.
You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of evildoers will never be mentioned again.”
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons; Because of the iniquity of their fathers, They do not rise, nor have possessed the land, Nor filled the face of the world [with] cities.
Prepare your slaughter for his children, for the iniquity of their ancestors, so they will not rise up and possess the earth and fill the whole world with cities.
22 And I have risen up against them,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, “And have cut off, in reference to Babylon, Name and remnant, and continuator and successor,” A declaration of YHWH.
“I will rise up against them”—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon name, descendant, and posterity”—this is Yahweh's declaration.
23 “And have made it for a possession of a hedgehog, And ponds of waters, And swept it with the broom of destruction,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts!
“I will also make her into a possession of owls, and into pools of water, and I will sweep her with the broom of destruction”—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.
24 YHWH of Hosts has sworn, saying, “As I thought—so has it not been? And as I counseled—it stands;
Yahweh of hosts has sworn, “Surely, as I have intended, so it will come about; and as I have purposed, so it will be:
25 To break Asshur in My land, And I tread him down on My mountain, And his yoke has turned from off them, Indeed, his burden turns aside from off their shoulder.
I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot. Then his yoke will be lifted from off them and his burden from off their shoulder.” Then his yoke will be lifted from off them and his burden from off their shoulder.”
26 This [is] the counsel that is counseled for all the earth, And this [is] the hand that is stretched out for all the nations.
This is the plan that is intended for the whole earth, and this is the hand that is raised over all the nations.
27 For YHWH of Hosts has purposed, And who makes void? And His hand that is stretched out, Who turns it back?”
For Yahweh of hosts has planned this; who will stop him? His hand is raised, and who will turn it back?
28 In the year of the death of King Ahaz was this burden:
In the year that king Ahaz died this declaration came:
29 “Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you, That the rod of your striker has been broken, For from the root of a serpent comes out a viper, And its fruit [is] a flying, burning serpent.
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For out of the serpent's root will grow out an adder, and his offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.
30 And the firstborn of the poor have delighted, And the needy lie down in confidence, And I have put to death your root with famine, And it slays your remnant.
The firstborn of the poor will graze their sheep in my pastures, and the needy will lie down in safety. I will kill your root with famine that will put to death all your survivors.
31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city, You are melted, Philistia, all of you, For smoke has come from the north, And there is none alone in his set places.”
Howl, gate; cry, city; all of you will melt away, Philistia. For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 And what does one answer the messengers of a nation? That YHWH has founded Zion, And the poor of His people take refuge in it!
How will they respond to the messengers of that nation? “Yahweh has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will find refuge.”
