Israel’s Taunt

14 When the Lord will (A)have compassion on Jacob and again (B)choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then (C)strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the (D)house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the Lord (E)as male servants and female servants; and [a]they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.

And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you (F)rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved, that you will (G)take up this [b]taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,

“How (H)the oppressor has ceased,
And how [c]fury has ceased!
“The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of rulers
(I)Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,
Which [d]subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.
“The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;
They (J)break forth into shouts of joy.
“Even the (K)cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’
(L)Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come;
It arouses for you the [e]spirits of the dead, all the [f]leaders of the earth;
It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
10 (M)They will all respond and say to you,
‘Even you have been made weak as we,
You have become like us.
11 ‘Your (N)pomp and the music of your harps
Have been brought down to Sheol;
Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you
And worms are your covering.’
12 “How you have (O)fallen from heaven,
O [g](P)star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13 “But you said in your heart,
‘I will (Q)ascend to heaven;
I will (R)raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
(S)I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 “Nevertheless you (T)will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,
They will [h]ponder over you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a (U)wilderness
And overthrew its cities,
Who (V)did not [i]allow his prisoners to go home?’
18 “All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
Each in his own [j]tomb.
19 “But you have been (W)cast out of your tomb
Like [k]a rejected branch,
[l]Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the (X)pit
Like a (Y)trampled corpse.
20 “You will not be united with them in burial,
Because you have ruined your country,
You have slain your people.
May the (Z)offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.
21 “Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter
Because of the (AA)iniquity of their fathers.
They must not arise and take possession of the earth
And fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon (AB)name and survivors, (AC)offspring and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “I will also make it a possession for the (AD)hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of (AE)destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.

Judgment on Assyria

24 The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, (AF)just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, 25 to (AG)break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his (AH)yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. 26 This is the (AI)plan [m]devised against the whole earth; and this is the (AJ)hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 For (AK)the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

28 In the (AL)year that King Ahaz died this [n](AM)oracle came:

Judgment on Philistia

29 “Do not rejoice, O (AN)Philistia, all of you,
Because the rod that (AO)struck you is broken;
For from the serpent’s root a (AP)viper will come out,
And its fruit will be a (AQ)flying serpent.
30 [o]Those who are most (AR)helpless will eat,
And the needy will lie down in security;
I will [p]destroy your root with (AS)famine,
And it will kill off your survivors.
31 “Wail, O (AT)gate; cry, O city;
[q]Melt away, O (AU)Philistia, all of you;
For smoke comes from the (AV)north,
And (AW)there is no straggler in his ranks.
32 “How then will one answer the (AX)messengers of the nation?
That (AY)the Lord has founded Zion,
And (AZ)the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 14:2 Lit the captors will become their captives
  2. Isaiah 14:4 Or proverb
  3. Isaiah 14:4 Amended from the meaningless medhebah to marhebah
  4. Isaiah 14:6 Or ruled
  5. Isaiah 14:9 Or shades (Heb Repha’im)
  6. Isaiah 14:9 Lit male goats
  7. Isaiah 14:12 Heb Helel; i.e. shining one
  8. Isaiah 14:16 Lit show themselves attentive to
  9. Isaiah 14:17 Lit open
  10. Isaiah 14:18 Lit house
  11. Isaiah 14:19 Lit an abhorred branch
  12. Isaiah 14:19 Or As the clothing of those who are slain
  13. Isaiah 14:26 Lit planned
  14. Isaiah 14:28 Or burden
  15. Isaiah 14:30 Lit The firstborn of the helpless
  16. Isaiah 14:30 Lit put to death
  17. Isaiah 14:31 Or Become demoralized

14 The Lord will have compassion(A) on Jacob;
    once again he will choose(B) Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.(C)
Foreigners(D) will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
Nations will take them
    and bring(E) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations(F)
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives(G) of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.(H)

On the day the Lord gives you relief(I) from your suffering and turmoil(J) and from the harsh labor forced on you,(K) you will take up this taunt(L) against the king of Babylon:(M)

How the oppressor(N) has come to an end!
    How his fury[a] has ended!
The Lord has broken the rod(O) of the wicked,(P)
    the scepter(Q) of the rulers,
which in anger struck down peoples(R)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued(S) nations
    with relentless aggression.(T)
All the lands are at rest and at peace;(U)
    they break into singing.(V)
Even the junipers(W) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”(X)

The realm of the dead(Y) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed(Z) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders(AA) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.(AB)
10 They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”(AC)
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,(AD)
    along with the noise of your harps;(AE)
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms(AF) cover you.(AG)

12 How you have fallen(AH) from heaven,
    morning star,(AI) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!(AJ)
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend(AK) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne(AL)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,(AM)
    on the utmost heights(AN) of Mount Zaphon.[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;(AO)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”(AP)
15 But you are brought down(AQ) to the realm of the dead,(AR)
    to the depths(AS) of the pit.(AT)

16 Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:(AU)
“Is this the man who shook(AV) the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,(AW)
    who overthrew(AX) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”(AY)

18 All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.(AZ)
19 But you are cast out(BA) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,(BB)
    with those pierced by the sword,(BC)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.(BD)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20     you will not join them in burial,(BE)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring(BF) of the wicked(BG)
    never be mentioned(BH) again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children(BI)
    for the sins of their ancestors;(BJ)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

22 “I will rise up(BK) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name(BL) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,(BM)
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls(BN)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,(BO)
    declares the Lord Almighty.(BP)

24 The Lord Almighty has sworn,(BQ)

“Surely, as I have planned,(BR) so it will be,
    and as I have purposed, so it will happen.(BS)
25 I will crush the Assyrian(BT) in my land;
    on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke(BU) will be taken from my people,
    and his burden removed from their shoulders.(BV)

26 This is the plan(BW) determined for the whole world;
    this is the hand(BX) stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed,(BY) and who can thwart him?
    His hand(BZ) is stretched out, and who can turn it back?(CA)

A Prophecy Against the Philistines

28 This prophecy(CB) came in the year(CC) King Ahaz(CD) died:

29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,(CE)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,(CF)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.(CG)
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
    and the needy(CH) will lie down in safety.(CI)
But your root I will destroy by famine;(CJ)
    it will slay(CK) your survivors.(CL)

31 Wail,(CM) you gate!(CN) Howl, you city!
    Melt away, all you Philistines!(CO)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,(CP)
    and there is not a straggler in its ranks.(CQ)
32 What answer shall be given
    to the envoys(CR) of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,(CS)
    and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.(CT)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.