Isaiah 14
1 [But] Yahweh will act mercifully toward the Israeli people; he will choose [the people of] Israel [to be his people again], and he will allow them to [return here and] live in their own land again. Then people from [many] other countries will come here and unite with the Israeli people.
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 People of other nations will help them to return to their [own] land, and those who come from other countries will (work for/become the servants of) the Israeli people. Those who captured people of Israel will be captured by Israeli soldiers, and the people of Israel will rule over the people who [previously] oppressed them.
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 Some day Yahweh will free you [Israeli people] from suffering and trouble and from being afraid, and from being cruelly treated as slaves [MTY].
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 When that happens, you will make fun of the King of Babylon by saying this: “You treated us cruelly, but that has ended! Your insolently causing others to suffer is finished!
you will sing this taunt song against the king of Babylon, “How the oppressor has come to an end, the proud fury ended!
5 You evil ruler, Yahweh will get rid of your power, and you will oppress people no longer!
Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of those rulers,
6 You attacked people many times because you were very angry with them, and you subdued/conquered [other] nations by causing them to suffer endlessly.
that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger, with an attack that was unrestrained.
7 [But soon] everything will be quiet and peaceful on the earth. Everyone [PRS] will sing [again]!
The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they begin celebrating with singing.
8 [It will be as though] even the trees in the forests will joyfully sing this song, the cyprus/pine [trees] and the cedar [trees] in Lebanon will sing it: ‘You (have been overthrown/are no longer a ruler), and now no one comes to get rid of us [MET].’
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 The dead people are [PRS] are eagerly waiting for you to come to the place where they are. The spirits of the world leaders will be delighted to welcome you; those who were kings of many nations [before they died] will stand up [to welcome you]. (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 They will all shout to you [together], ‘Now you are as weak as we are!’
They all will speak and say to you, 'You have become as weak as us. You have become like us.
11 You were very proud and powerful, [but all] that ended when you died, along with the sounds of harps [being played in your palace]. [Now in your grave] maggots will be under you [like a sheet] [MET], and worms will cover you [like a blanket] [MET]. (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 You have [disappeared from the earth like] [MET] a star which has fallen from the sky; you [were very well-known] [like] [MET] the morning star [which is seen by everyone]; you destroyed [many] nations, but now you have been destroyed.
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 You [proudly] said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven, to my throne above God’s stars. I will rule on the mountain where [the gods] gather together, far in 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 will ascend above the clouds and become like the highest/greatest god!’
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High God.'
15 [But you were not able to do that]; instead, you were carried down to your grave, and you went to the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
Yet you are now brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. (Sheol h7585)
16 The [other dead] people there stare at you; they wonder what happened to you. [They say], ‘Is this the man who caused the earth to shake and caused the [people in many] kingdoms to tremble?
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 Is this the man who [tried to] cause the world to become a desert, who conquered its cities and did not allow the people whom he captured to return to their homes?’
who made the world like a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and did not let his prisoners go home?'
18 All the kings of the earth [who have died] were greatly honored when they were buried,
All the kings of the nations, all of them lie down in honor, each one in his own tomb.
19 but your [corpse will] not be buried; it will be thrown away like [SIM] a worthless branch [of a tree]. Your corpse will be under a heap of other corpses of soldiers that were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and [their corpses] were not buried; you will be with those who have gone down to the stony ground in a big pit.
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 Your [corpse] will not be buried because you have destroyed your nation and have caused your people to be killed. The descendants of wicked people [like you] will never be honored again.
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 [People will say], ‘Slaughter this man’s children because of the sins that their ancestors committed! Do not allow them to become rulers and conquer [all the nations in] the world, and fill the world with the cities [that they rule]!’”
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 [This is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says: “I [myself] will cause Babylon to be conquered. I will get rid of Babylon and its people and their descendants.
“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 I will cause Babylon to be a place where owls live, a place full of swamps; I will get rid of it completely [as though] [MET] I were sweeping it with a broom. [That is what I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say.”
“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 The Commander of the armies of angels has [also] solemnly promised this: “The things that I have planned will surely happen [DOU].
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 [When the army of] Assyria is in my land [of Israel], I will crush them. [It will be as though] I will trample them on my mountains. My people will no longer be the slaves [MET] of the people of Assyria; [it will be as though] [MET] I will take away the burdens that are on their shoulders.
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 I have a plan for everyone on the earth, a plan to show my power [MTY] to punish 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 [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, have spoken, and no one can [RHQ] change my mind. When I raise my fist [to strike Assyria], no one [RHQ] will be able to stop me [from doing that].”
For Yahweh of hosts has planned this; who will stop him? His hand is raised, and who will turn it back?
28 I received this message [from Yahweh] during the year that King Ahaz died:
In the year that king Ahaz died this declaration came:
29 You people of Philistia, do not rejoice that the enemy army [MET] that attacked you has been defeated and that their king is dead. He was [as dangerous as] [MET] a snake, but there will be another king, who will be more [dangerous] than a cobra; he will be [like] [MET] a quick-moving poisonous snake.
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 Those of my people who are very poor will take care of their flocks of sheep, and the needy people will lie down safely, but I will cause you people [of Philistia] who are still alive [DOU] to die from famine.
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 [So], you people of Philistia, wail at the gates of your cities! You should be extremely afraid, because [a very powerful army] will come from the north [to attack you]; [their chariots will stir up the dust like] [MET] a cloud of smoke. Each of their soldiers is ready to fight.
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 If messengers [from Philistia] come to us [Israeli people], this is what we must [RHQ] tell them: “Yahweh has established Jerusalem, [not Philistia], and his people who are oppressed will be safe inside [the walls of] Jerusalem.”
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.”
