Isaiah 14
Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s Return
14 For the Lord will have compassion(A) on Jacob and will choose Israel again.(B) He will settle them on their own land.(C) The resident alien will join them and be united with the house of Jacob.(D) 2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess them as male and female slaves in the Lord’s land.(E) They will make captives of their captors and will rule over their oppressors.
Downfall of the King of Babylon
3 When the Lord gives you rest from your pain,(F) torment, and the hard labor(G) you were forced to do, 4 you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon(H) and say:
How the oppressor has quieted down,
and how the raging[a] has become quiet!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers.
6 It struck the peoples in anger
with unceasing blows.
It subdued the nations in rage
with relentless persecution.
7 The whole earth is calm and at rest;
people shout with a ringing cry.
8 Even the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon
rejoice over you:(I)
“Since you have been laid low,
no lumberjack has come against us.”
9 Sheol below is eager to greet your coming,
stirring up the spirits of the departed for you—
all the rulers[b] of the earth—
making all the kings of the nations
rise from their thrones.
10 They all respond to you, saying,
“You too have become as weak as we are;
you have become like us!
11 Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol,
along with the music of your harps.
Maggots are spread out under you,
and worms cover you.”
12 Shining morning star,[c](J)
how you have fallen from the heavens!(K)
You destroyer of nations,
you have been cut down to the ground.
13 You said to yourself,
“I will ascend to the heavens;(L)
I will set up my throne
above the stars of God.(M)
I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly,
in the remotest parts of the North.[d](N)
14 I will ascend above the highest clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you will be brought down to Sheol
into the deepest regions of the Pit.(O)
16 Those who see you will stare at you;
they will look closely at you:
“Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble,
who shook the kingdoms,
17 who turned the world into a wilderness,(P)
who destroyed its cities
and would not release the prisoners to return home?”
18 All the kings of the nations
lie in splendor, each in his own tomb.
19 But you are thrown out without a grave,
like a worthless branch,
covered by those slain with the sword
and dumped into a rocky pit like a trampled corpse.
20 You will not join them in burial,
because you destroyed your land
and slaughtered your own people.
The offspring of evildoers
will never be mentioned again.(Q)
21 Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons,
because of the iniquity(R) of their ancestors.
They will never rise up to possess a land
or fill the surface of the earth with cities.
22 “I will rise up against them”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“and I will cut off from Babylon her reputation, remnant, offspring, and posterity”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 23 “I will make her a swampland and a region for herons,[e] and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Assyria Will Be Destroyed
24 The Lord of Armies has sworn:
As I have purposed, so it will be;
as I have planned it, so it will happen.(S)
25 I will break Assyria(T) in my land;
I will tread him down on my mountain.
Then his yoke will be taken from them,
and his burden will be removed from their shoulders.
26 This is the plan(U) prepared
for the whole earth,
and this is the hand stretched out
against all the nations.
27 The Lord of Armies himself has planned it;
therefore, who can stand in its way?
It is his hand that is outstretched,
so who can turn it back?
A Pronouncement against Philistia
28 In the year that King Ahaz died,(V) this pronouncement came:(W)
29 Don’t rejoice, all of you in Philistia,
because the rod of the one who struck you(X) is broken.
For a viper will come from the root[f] of a snake,
and from its egg comes a flying serpent.(Y)
30 Then the firstborn(Z) of the poor will be well fed,
and the impoverished will lie down in safety,
but I will kill your root with hunger,
and your remnant will be slain.
31 Wail, you gates!(AA) Cry out, city!
Tremble with fear,(AB) all Philistia!
For a cloud of dust is coming from the north,(AC)
and there is no one missing from the invader’s ranks.
32 What answer will be given to the messengers from that nation?
The Lord has founded Zion,(AD)
and his oppressed people find refuge in her.
Isaiah 14
New International Version
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.
2 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)
3 On the day the Lord gives you relief(I) from your suffering and turmoil(J) and from the harsh labor forced on you,(K) 4 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!
5 The Lord has broken the rod(O) of the wicked,(P)
the scepter(Q) of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples(R)
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued(S) nations
with relentless aggression.(T)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;(U)
they break into singing.(V)
8 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)
9 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
- Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
Isaiah 14
Legacy Standard Bible
Israel’s Restoration and Dominion
14 When Yahweh will (A)have compassion on Jacob and again (B)choose Israel, and [a]put them in their own land, then (C)sojourners will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And 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 Yahweh (E)for their male and female slaves; and [b]they will take their captors captive and will have dominion over their taskmasters.
3 And it will be in the day when Yahweh gives you (F)rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh slavery in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will (G)take up this [c]taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,
“How (H)the taskmaster has ceased,
And how [d]fury has ceased!
5 Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of rulers
6 (I)Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,
Which had dominion over the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;
They (J)break forth into shouts of joy.
8 Even the (K)cypress trees are glad over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’
9 (L)Sheol from beneath trembles excitedly over you to meet you when you come;
It wakens 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 answer and say to you,
‘Even you have been made weak as we,
You have become like us.
11 Your (N)pride 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 brought down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
16 Those who see you will gaze at you,
They will [h]carefully consider you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who caused kingdoms to quake,
17 Who made the world like a (U)wilderness
And pulled down 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]place.
19 But you have been (W)cast out of your grave
Like an abhorred branch,
[k]Clothed with those killed 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 killed your people.
May the (Z)seed of evildoers not be called upon 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 Yahweh of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon (AB)name and remnant, (AC)offspring and posterity,” declares Yahweh. 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 [l](AE)destruction,” declares Yahweh of hosts.
Yahweh’s Plan to Break Assyrian Rule
24 Yahweh of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, (AF)just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have counseled so it will stand, 25 to (AG)break Assyria in My land, and I will trod him down on My mountains. Then his (AH)yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. 26 This is the (AI)counsel that is counseled against the whole earth; and this is the (AJ)hand that is stretched out against all the nations. 27 For (AK)Yahweh of hosts has counseled, and who can thwart it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”
An Oracle Concerning Philistia
28 In the (AL)year that King Ahaz died this [m](AM)oracle came:
29 “Do not be glad, 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 fiery serpent.
30 [n]And the foremost (AR)of the poor will eat,
And the needy will lie down in security;
I will put to death your root with (AS)famine,
And it will kill off your remnant.
31 Wail, O (AT)gate; cry, O city;
[o]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)Yahweh has founded Zion,
And (AZ)the afflicted of His people will take refuge in it.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 14:1 Or give them rest, cf. 14:3, 7
- Isaiah 14:2 Lit the captors will become their captives
- Isaiah 14:4 Or proverb
- Isaiah 14:4 Amended from the meaningless medhebah to marhebah
- Isaiah 14:9 Or shades
- Isaiah 14:9 Lit male goats
- Isaiah 14:12 Heb Helel; lit shining one
- Isaiah 14:16 Lit show themselves attentive to
- Isaiah 14:17 Lit open
- Isaiah 14:18 Lit house
- Isaiah 14:19 Or As the clothing of those who are slain
- Isaiah 14:23 Or extermination, cf. 13:9
- Isaiah 14:28 Or burden
- Isaiah 14:30 Lit The firstborn of the poor
- Isaiah 14:31 Or Become demoralized
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