Isaiah 14
14
Compassion for Jacob
1The LORD will have compassion on Jacob, will again choose Israel, and will give them rest in their own land. Immigrants will join them, and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2The peoples will take them and will bring them to their own place. The house of Israel will possess them as male and female slaves in the LORD’s land, making captives of their captors and ruling their oppressors.
Mockery of a tyrant
3When the LORD has given you rest from pain and trouble and from the hard labor that you perform, 4you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
How the oppressor#14.4 Heb uncertain has ceased!
How the flood#14.4 DSS (1QIsaa), LXX, Syr, Tg; MT fury has receded!
5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,
the rod of tyrants 6that struck peoples in rage with ceaseless blows,
that ruled nations with anger,
with relentless aggression.
7All the earth rests quietly,
then it breaks into song.
8Even the cypresses rejoice over you,
the cedars of Lebanon:
“Since you were laid low,
no logger comes up against us!”
9The underworld#14.9 Heb Sheol beneath becomes restless to greet your arrival.
It awakens the ghosts,
all the leaders of earth;
it makes the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.
10All of them speak and say to you:
“Even you’ve become weak like we are!
You are the same as us!”
11Your majesty has been brought down to the underworld,#14.11 Heb Sheol
along with the sound of your harps.
Under you is a bed of maggots,
and worms are your blanket.
12How you’ve fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of dawn!
You are cut down to earth,
helpless on your back!
13You said to yourself, I will climb up to heaven;
above God’s stars, I will raise my throne.
I’ll sit on the mount of assembly,
on the heights of Zaphon.
14I’ll go up to the cloud tops;
I’ll be like the Most High!
15But down to the underworld#14.15 Heb Sheol you are brought,
to the depths of the pit.
16Those who see you will stare at you;
they will examine you closely:
“Is this the man who rattled the earth,
who shook kingdoms,
17who made the world a wasteland
and tore down its cities,
and wouldn’t let his prisoners go home?”
18All the kings of the nations lie down honored,
all of them, each in his own tomb.
19But you are cast away from your own grave
like a rejected branch,
covered by the dead
and those pierced by the sword—
who go down to the stony pit—
like a trampled corpse.
20You won’t join them in burial,
for you destroyed your own land;
you killed your own people.
Such evil offspring will never be mentioned again!
21Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their father. Don’t let them arise to take over the earth or fill the world with cities.
22I will arise against them, says the LORD of heavenly forces. I will cut off Babylon’s renown and remnant, offshoot and offspring. 23I will make it the home of herons, a swampland. I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of heavenly forces.
Promise for oppressed Judah
24The LORD of heavenly forces has promised:
As I intended, so it will be;
and as I have planned, so it will happen:
25I will break Assyria in my land;
on my mountains I will trample it
and remove its yoke from my people;#14.25 Or them
his burden will be taken from their shoulders.
26This is the plan that has been made for all the earth;
this is the hand extended over all the nations.
27The LORD of heavenly forces has created a plan;
who can stop it?
God’s hand is extended;
who will stop it?
An oracle concerning the Philistines
28This oracle came in the year of King Ahaz’s death:
29Don’t rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken,
because from the snake’s root a viper will grow,
and it will produce a winged creature.
30The oldest offspring of the poor will graze;
their needy will lie down secure.
But he will starve your offspring to death,
and murder all who remain.
31Wail, gate! Cry out, city!
Melt in terror, all you Philistines!
Smoke is coming from the north;
there is no straggler in its ranks.#14.31 Heb uncertain
32What will one say to that nation’s messengers?
The LORD has founded Zion;
the oppressed among God’s people will find refuge there.
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Isaiah 14: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 14
14
1The Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and aliens will join them and will cleave to the house of Jacob. 2And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land as male and female slaves; they will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
3When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury#14.4 One ancient Ms Compare Gk Syr Vg: The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain ceased!
5The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6that smote the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no hewer comes up against us.’
9Sheol 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.
10All of them will speak
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
and worms are your covering.
12“How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far north;
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Pit.
16Those who see you will stare at you,
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;
19but you are cast out, away from your sepulchre,
like a loathed untimely birth,#14.19 Cn Compare Tg Symmachus: Heb a loathed branch
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the Pit,
like a dead body trodden under foot.
20You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.
“May the descendants of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21Prepare slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”
22“I will rise up against them,” says the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offspring and posterity, says the Lord. 23And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts.”
24The Lord of hosts has sworn:
“As I have planned,
so shall it be,
and as I have purposed,
so shall it stand,
25that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
and upon my mountains trample him under foot;
and his yoke shall depart from them,
and his burden from their shoulder.”
26This is the purpose that is purposed
concerning the whole earth;
and this is the hand that is stretched out
over all the nations.
27For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
and who will turn it back?
28In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle:
29 #
Jer 47; Ezek 25.15-17; Joel 3.4-8; Amos 1.6-8; Zeph 2.4-7; Zech 9.5-7. “Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you,
that the rod which smote you is broken,
for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder,
and its fruit will be a flying serpent.
30And the first-born of the poor will feed,
and the needy lie down in safety;
but I will kill your root with famine,
and your remnant I#14.30 One ancient Ms Vg: Heb he will slay.
31Wail, O gate; cry, O city;
melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!
For smoke comes out of the north,
and there is no straggler in his ranks.”
32What will one answer the messengers of the nation?
“The Lord has founded Zion,
and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.”
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