4 that you fwill take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:

“How the oppressor has ceased,

The ggolden 1city ceased!

5 The Lord has broken hthe staff of the wicked,

The scepter of the rulers;

6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,

He who ruled the nations in anger,

Is persecuted and no one hinders.

7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;

They break forth into singing.

8 iIndeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,

And the cedars of Lebanon,

Saying, ‘Since you 2were cut down,

No woodsman has come up against us.’

9 “Hell j 3from beneath is excited about you,

To meet you at your coming;

It stirs up the dead for you,

All the chief ones of the earth;

It has raised up from their thrones

All the kings of the nations.

10 They all shall kspeak and say to you:

‘Have you also become as weak as we?

Have you become like us?

11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,

And the sound of your stringed instruments;

The maggot is spread under you,

And worms cover you.’

The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How lyou are fallen from heaven,

O 4Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart:

m‘I will ascend into heaven,

nI will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the omount of the congregation

pOn the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

qI will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you rshall be brought down to Sheol,

To the 5lowest depths of the Pit.

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,

And consider you, saying:

‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

Who shook kingdoms,

17 Who made the world as a wilderness

And destroyed its cities,

Who 6did not open the house of his prisoners?’

18 “All the kings of the nations,

All of them, sleep in glory,

Everyone in his own house;

19 But you are cast out of your grave

Like an 7abominable branch,

Like the garment of those who are slain,

8Thrust through with a sword,

Who go down to the stones of the pit,

Like a corpse trodden underfoot.

20 You will not be joined with them in burial,

Because you have destroyed your land

And slain your people.

sThe brood of evildoers shall never be named.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children

tBecause of the iniquity of their fathers,

Lest they rise up and possess the land,

And fill the face of the world with cities.”

Babylon Destroyed

22 “For I will rise up against them,” says the Lord of hosts,

“And cut off from Babylon uthe name and vremnant,

wAnd offspring and posterity,” says the Lord.

23 “I will also make it a possession for the xporcupine,

And marshes of muddy water;

I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.