Isaiah 14

1For Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the sojourner shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

1The LORD will have mercy on Jacob and will once again choose Israel. He will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and become part of the family of Jacob.

2And the peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for servants and for handmaids: and they shall take them captive whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

2The nations will take the Israelites and bring them back to their own place. The people of Israel will possess those nations as male and female servants in the LORD’S land. They will capture those who had captured them, and they will rule over their former oppressors.

3And it shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve,

3On the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, your fear, and the harsh labor you were forced to do,

4that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

4you will sing this song to mock the king of Babylon: 'Look how the oppressor has come to an end! His arrogant fury has finished!'

5Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers;

5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of those who ruled,

6that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.

6the rod that struck the nations in anger with endless blows, and ruled the peoples in fury with relentless persecution.

7The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

7Now the entire world is at rest and is quiet; the people break out in songs of joy.

8Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid low, no hewer is come up against us.

8Even the juniper trees and the cedars of Lebanon brag about your fall, saying, 'Since you were brought down, no woodcutter comes to chop us down.'

9Sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

9The world of the dead below is excited to meet you when you arrive. It wakes up the spirits of the departed for you—all those who were leaders on earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.

10All they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

10They will all speak up and say to you, 'Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become just like us?'

11Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee.

11Your pride has been brought down to the grave, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread under you like a bed, and worms are your blanket.

12How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

12How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, you who once conquered the nations!

13And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;

13You said in your heart, 'I will go up to heaven; I will set my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mountain where the gods assemble, on the heights of the sacred mountain.'

14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

14'I will rise above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

15Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.

15But instead, you are brought down to the world of the dead, to the deepest parts of the pit.

16They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

16Those who see you will stare and wonder about you, asking, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble and shook kingdoms?

17that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?

17'Is this the one who turned the world into a desert, destroyed its cities, and would not let his captives go home?'

18All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house.

18All the kings of the nations lie in honor, each in his own magnificent tomb.

19But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot.

19But you are thrown out of your grave like a rejected branch. You are covered with the bodies of those killed by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit like a corpse stepped on in the street.

20Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever.

20You will not be buried with other kings because you destroyed your own land and killed your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.

21Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

21Prepare a place to slaughter his sons because of the sins of their ancestors. They must not rise up to take over the earth or fill the world with their cities.

22And I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son, saith Jehovah.

22'I will rise up against them,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 'I will wipe out the name of Babylon and its survivors, its offspring and its descendants,' says the LORD.

23I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith Jehovah of hosts.

23'I will turn Babylon into a place for owls and a swamp of water. I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

24Jehovah of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

24The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sworn an oath: 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will happen; as I have purposed, so it will stand.'

25that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder.

25'I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains, I will trample him down. His heavy load will be removed from my people, and his burden will be lifted from their shoulders.'

26This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

26This is the plan decided for the whole earth; this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.

27For Jehovah of hosts hath purposed, and who shall annul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

27The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has made a plan, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out to strike, and who can turn it back?

28In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

28This message came in the year that King Ahaz died:

29Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

29Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, because the rod that struck you is broken. For from that snake’s root a cobra will grow, and its offspring will be a darting, poisonous snake.

30And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain.

30The poorest of the poor will find plenty to eat, and the needy will lie down in safety. But I will kill your roots with famine, and it will destroy those of you who survive.

31Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou art melted away, O Philistia, all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

31Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away in fear, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not one soldier missing from its ranks.

32What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.

32What answer should be given to the messengers from that nation? Tell them: 'The LORD has built Zion, and his suffering people will find safety there.'