Isaiah 14:4–10

you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

“How the oppressor has ceased,

the insolent fury ceased!

The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,

the scepter of rulers,

that struck the peoples in wrath

with unceasing blows,

that ruled the nations in anger

with unrelenting persecution.

The whole earth is at rest and quiet;

they break forth into singing.

The cypresses rejoice at you,

the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

‘Since you were laid low,

no woodcutter comes up against us.’

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.

All of them will answer

and say to you:

‘You too have become as weak as we!

You have become like us!’

you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has come to an end!

How his fury has ended!

The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,

the scepter of the rulers,

which in anger struck down peoples

with unceasing blows,

and in fury subdued nations

with relentless aggression.

All the lands are at rest and at peace;

they break into singing.

Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon

gloat over you and say,

“Now that you have been laid low,

no one comes to cut us down.”

The realm of the dead below is all astir

to meet you at your coming;

it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—

all those who were leaders in the world;

it makes them rise from their thrones—

all those who were kings over the nations.

They will all respond,

they will say to you,

“You also have become weak, as we are;

you have become like us.”

you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon and say:

How the oppressor has quieted down,

and how the raging has become quiet!

The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,

the scepter of the rulers.

It struck the peoples in anger

with unceasing blows.

It subdued the nations in rage

with relentless persecution.

The whole earth is calm and at rest;

people shout with a ringing cry.

Even the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon

rejoice over you:

“Since you have been laid low,

no lumberjack has come against us.”

Sheol below is eager to greet your coming,

stirring up the spirits of the departed for you—

all the rulers of the earth—

making all the kings of the nations

rise from their thrones.

They all respond to you, saying,

“You too have become as weak as we are;

you have become like us!

you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say,

“The mighty man has been destroyed.

Yes, your insolence is ended.

For the Lord has crushed your wicked power

and broken your evil rule.

You struck the people with endless blows of rage

and held the nations in your angry grip

with unrelenting tyranny.

But finally the earth is at rest and quiet.

Now it can sing again!

Even the trees of the forest—

the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon—

sing out this joyous song:

‘Since you have been cut down,

no one will come now to cut us down!’

“In the place of the dead there is excitement

over your arrival.

The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead

stand up to see you.

With one voice they all cry out,

‘Now you are as weak as we are!

that you will take this taunt against the king of Babylon,

and you will say:

“How the oppressor has ceased!

his insolence has ceased.

Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked,

the scepter of rulers,

that struck the peoples in wrath, a blow without ceasing,

that ruled the nations in anger

with unrestrained persecution.

All of the earth rests and is quiet;

they break forth into singing.

Even the cypresses rejoice over you,

the cedars of Lebanon:

‘Since you were laid down,

no wood cutter comes up against us.’

Sheol below is getting excited over you,

to meet you when you come;

it arouses the dead spirits for you,

all of the leaders of the earth.

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

All of them will respond and say to you,

‘You yourself also were made weak like us!

You have become the same as us!’

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say,

How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke,

He that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming:

It stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth;

It hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

All they shall speak and say unto thee,

Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?