14:1 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
14:2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’S land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.
14:3 On the day the LORD gives you relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage,
14:4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!
14:5 The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,
14:6 which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.
14:7 All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing.
14:8 Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, “Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down.”
14:9 The grave 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.
14:10 They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.”
14:11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.
14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
14:13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
14:15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
14:16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
14:17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”
14:18 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb.
14:19 But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
14:20 you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.
14:21 Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities.
14:22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,” declares the LORD.
14:23 “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD Almighty.
14:24 The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.
14:25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
14:26 This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
14:27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
14:28 This oracle came in the year King Ahaz died:
14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
14:30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.
14:31 Wail, O gate! Howl, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
14:32 What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”
14:1 When Jehovah has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel and settles them in their land, the sojourners will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
14:2 And nations will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will take possession of them in the land of Jehovah as male and female servants; and they will lead captive those who were their captors and rule over those who oppressed them.
14:3 In the day when Jehovah gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and from the hard service that was done by you as slaves,
14:4 You will lift up this discourse concerning the king of Babylon and you will say: How the oppressor has ceased! / How the raging has ceased!
14:5 Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, / The rod of rulers;
14:6 That struck the peoples in wrath, / With strikes that would not stop; / That ruled the nations in anger, / With pursuit that would not let up.
14:7 All the earth rests and is undisturbed; / They break forth with a ringing shout.
14:8 Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, / And the cedars of Lebanon: / Since you are brought down, no tree cutter / Will come up against us.
14:9 Sheol beneath is excited because of you, / That it will meet you when you come. / It rouses the dead because of you, / All the great ones of the earth. / It makes all the kings of the nations / Rise from their thrones.
14:10 All of them will respond / And say to you, / Even you have been weakened, just as we have; / You have become like us.
14:11 Your majesty has been brought down to Sheol, / Even the sound of your harps. / Beneath you maggots are spread; / Worms are your covering.
14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, / O Daystar, son of the dawn! / How you have been hewn down to earth, / You who made nations fall prostrate!
14:13 But you, you said in your heart: / I will ascend to heaven; / Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne. / And I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north.
14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; / I will make myself like the Most High.
14:15 But you will be brought down to Sheol, / To the uttermost parts of the pit.
14:16 Those who see you will gaze at you; / They will ponder concerning you, asking, / Is this the man who made the earth tremble, / The one who shook kingdoms;
14:17 Who made the world like a wilderness / And tore down its cities; / Who did not release his captives to their homes?
14:18 All the kings of the nations, / All of them, lie in glory, / Each in his own house.
14:19 But you have been thrown out away from your tomb, / Like some shoot that is viewed with disgust; / Or like the garments of the slain, of those pierced with the sword, / Who go down to the stones of the pit; / Like a corpse that has been trampled under.
14:20 You shall not be united with them in burial, / For you have destroyed your land, / You have slain your people; / The seed of evildoers / Will never be renowned.
14:21 Prepare a slaughterhouse for his children / Because of the iniquity of their fathers, / So that they do not rise up and possess the land, / And fill the surface of the world with cities.
14:22 And I will rise up against them, / Declares Jehovah of hosts. / And I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, / And posterity and progeny, declares Jehovah.
14:23 And I will make it a possession for porcupines / And muddied pools of water, / And I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, / Declares Jehovah of hosts.
14:24 Jehovah of hosts has sworn, saying, / Surely just as I conceived it, so has it happened; / And just as I have purposed it, so shall this stand,
14:25 That I will break Assyria in My land, / And upon My mountains I will trample him. / Then his yoke will be taken off of them, / And his burden will be removed from off their shoulders.
14:26 This is the purpose that I have purposed over all the earth, / And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
14:27 For Jehovah of hosts has purposed it, and who will frustrate it? / And thus His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
14:28 In the year that King Ahaz died this burden came:
14:29 Do not rejoice, all of you, Philistia, / That the rod that strikes you is broken, / For from the serpent’s root a viper will come forth, / And his fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
14:30 And the poorest of the poor will feed, / And the needy will lie down securely. / And I will kill your root by famine, / And he will slay your remnant.
14:31 Howl, O gate! Cry out, O city! / The whole of you, Philistia, is melted away. / For from the north smoke has come, / And there are no stragglers in his ranks.
14:32 And what shall one answer this nation’s messengers? / That Jehovah has founded Zion, / And in her the poor of His people take refuge.