Israel’s Remnant Taunts Babylon

3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this utaunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased,

vthe insolent fury2 ceased!

5  The Lord has broken the wstaff of the wicked,

the wscepter of rulers,

6  xthat struck the peoples in wrath

with unceasing blows,

that ruled the nations in anger

with unrelenting persecution.

7  The whole earth is at rest and quiet;

ythey break forth into singing.

8  zaThe cypresses rejoice at you,

bthe cedars of Lebanon, saying,

‘Since you were laid low,

no woodcutter comes up against us.’

9  Sheol beneath is stirred up

to meet you when you come;

it rouses the shades to greet you,

all who were leaders of the earth;

it raises from their thrones

all who were kings of the nations.

10  cAll of them will answer

and say to you:

‘You too have become as weak as we!

You have become like us!’

11  Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,

the sound of your harps;

maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,

and worms are your covers.

12  “How dyou are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, eson of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

13  You said in your heart,

f‘I will ascend to heaven;

above the stars of God

gI will set my throne on high;

I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far reaches of the north;3

14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

15  hBut you are brought down to Sheol,

to the far reaches of the pit.

16  Those who see you will stare at you

and ponder over you:

‘Is this ithe man who made the earth tremble,

who shook kingdoms,

17  who made the world like a desert

and overthrew its cities,

jwho did not let his prisoners go home?’

18  All the kings of the nations lie in glory,

each in his own tomb;4

19  but you are cast out, away from your grave,

like a loathed branch,

kclothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,

who go down to the stones of the pit,

like a dead body trampled underfoot.

20  You will not be joined with them in burial,

because you have destroyed your land,

you have slain your people.

“May lthe offspring of evildoers

nevermore be named!

21  Prepare slaughter for his sons

mbecause of the guilt of their fathers,

lest they rise and possess the earth,

and fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and nremnant, odescendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the phedgehog,5 and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.