Isaiah 14:4–21

⁴They will make fun of the king of Babylonia. They will say,

“See how the one who crushed others has fallen!

See how his anger has come to an end!

⁵The Lord has taken away the authority of evil people.

He has broken the power of rulers.

⁶When they became angry, they struck nations down.

Their blows never stopped.

In their anger they brought nations under their control.

They attacked them again and again.

⁷All of the lands now enjoy peace and rest.

They break out into singing.

⁸Even the pine trees are glad.

The cedar trees of Lebanon are happy too.

They say, ‘Babylon, you have fallen.

Now no one comes and cuts us down.’

⁹“King of Babylonia, many people in the grave are really excited

about meeting you when you go down there.

The spirits of the dead get up to welcome you.

At one time all of them were leaders in the world.

They were kings over the nations.

They get up from their thrones.

¹⁰All of them call out to you.

They say,

‘You have become weak, just as we are.

You have become like us.’

¹¹Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave.

The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power.

Maggots are spread out under you.

Worms cover you.

¹²“King of Babylonia, you thought you were the bright morning star.

But now you have fallen from heaven!

You once brought nations down.

But now you have been thrown down to the earth!

¹³You said in your heart,

‘I will go up to heaven.

I’ll raise my throne

above the stars of God.

I’ll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet.

I’ll set up my throne on the highest slopes of the sacred mountain.

¹⁴I will rise above the tops of the clouds.

I’ll make myself like the Most High God.’

¹⁵But now you have been brought down to the grave.

You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit.

¹⁶“Those who see you stare at you.

They think about what has happened to you.

They say to themselves,

‘Is this the man who shook the earth?

Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear?

¹⁷Did he turn the world into a desert?

Did he destroy its cities?

Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?’

¹⁸“All of the kings of the nations are buried with honor.

Each of them lies in his own tomb.

¹⁹But you have been thrown out of your tomb.

You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away.

You are covered with the bodies

of those who have been killed with swords.

You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them.

You are like a dead body that people have walked on.

²⁰You won’t be buried like other kings.

That’s because you have destroyed your land.

You have killed your people.

“The children of that evil man will be killed.

None of them will be left to carry on the family name.

²¹So prepare a place to kill his children.

Kill them because of the sins of the rulers

who lived before them.

They must not rise to power.

They must not rule over the world.

They must not cover the earth with their cities.”