4 that you will atake up this 1taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,

“How bthe oppressor has ceased,

And how 2fury has ceased!

5 “The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,

The scepter of rulers

6 aWhich used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,

Which 1subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.

7 “The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;

They abreak forth into shouts of joy.

8 “Even the acypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’

9 “aSheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come;

It arouses for you the 1spirits of the dead, all the 2leaders of the earth;

It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

10 “aThey will all respond and say to you,

‘Even you have been made weak as we,

You have become like us.