Isaiah 14

The Lord will have compassion^z on Jacob;

once again he will choose^a Israel

and will settle them in their own land.^b

Foreigners^c will join them

and unite with the house of Jacob.

Nations will take them

and bring^d them to their own place.

And the house of Israel will take possession of the nations^e

and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.

They will make captives^f of their captors

and rule over their oppressors.^g

On the day the Lord gives you relief^h from your suffering and turmoilⁱ and from the harsh labor forced on you,^j you will take up this taunt^k against the king of Babylon:^l

How the oppressor^m has come to an end!

How his fury has ended!

The Lord has broken the rodⁿ of the wicked,^o

the scepter^p of the rulers,

which in anger struck down peoples^q

with unceasing blows,

and in fury subdued^r nations

with relentless aggression.^s

All the lands are at rest and at peace;^t

they break into singing.^u

Even the junipers^v and the cedars of Lebanon

exult over you and say,

“Now that you have been laid low,

no one comes to cut us down.”^w

The realm of the dead^x below is all astir

to meet you at your coming;

it rouses the spirits of the departed^y to greet you—

all those who were leaders^z in the world;

it makes them rise from their thrones—

all those who were kings over the nations.^a

They will all respond,

they will say to you,

“You also have become weak, as we are;

you have become like us.”^b

All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,^c

along with the noise of your harps;^d

maggots are spread out beneath you

and worms^e cover you.^f

How you have fallen^g from heaven,

morning star,^h son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!ⁱ

You said in your heart,

“I will ascend^j to heaven;

I will raise my throne^k

above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,^l

on the utmost heights^m of Mount Zaphon.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;ⁿ

I will make myself like the Most High.”^o

But you are brought down^p to the realm of the dead,^q

to the depths^r of the pit.^s

Those who see you stare at you,

they ponder your fate:^t

“Is this the man who shook^u the earth

and made kingdoms tremble,

the man who made the world a wilderness,^v

who overthrew^w its cities

and would not let his captives go home?”^x

All the kings of the nations lie in state,

each in his own tomb.^y

But you are cast out^z of your tomb

like a rejected branch;

you are covered with the slain,^a

with those pierced by the sword,^b

those who descend to the stones of the pit.^c

Like a corpse trampled underfoot,

you will not join them in burial,^d

for you have destroyed your land

and killed your people.

Let the offspring^e of the wicked^f

never be mentioned^g again.

Prepare a place to slaughter his children^h

for the sins of their ancestors;ⁱ

they are not to rise to inherit the land

and cover the earth with their cities.

“I will rise up^j against them,”

declares the Lord Almighty.

“I will wipe out Babylon’s name^k and survivors,

her offspring and descendants,^l”

declares the Lord.

“I will turn her into a place for owls^m

and into swampland;

I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,ⁿ”

declares the Lord Almighty.^o

The Lord Almighty has sworn,^p

“Surely, as I have planned,^q so it will be,

and as I have purposed, so it will happen.^r

I will crush the Assyrian^s in my land;

on my mountains I will trample him down.

His yoke^t will be taken from my people,

and his burden removed from their shoulders.^u”

This is the plan^v determined for the whole world;

this is the hand^w stretched out over all nations.

For the Lord Almighty has purposed,^x and who can thwart him?

His hand^y is stretched out, and who can turn it back?^z

A Prophecy Against the Philistines

This prophecy^a came in the year^b King Ahaz^c died:

Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,^d

that the rod that struck you is broken;

from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,^e

its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.^f

The poorest of the poor will find pasture,

and the needy^g will lie down in safety.^h

But your root I will destroy by famine;ⁱ

it will slay^j your survivors.^k

Wail,^l you gate!^m Howl, you city!

Melt away, all you Philistines!ⁿ

A cloud of smoke comes from the north,^o

and there is not a straggler in its ranks.^p

What answer shall be given

to the envoys^q of that nation?

“The Lord has established Zion,^r

and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.^s”