“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
    and makes himself wealthy by extortion!^(B)
    How long must this go on?’

⁴ In that day people will ridicule you;
    they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;^(A)
    my people’s possession is divided up.^(B)
He takes it from me!
    He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

¹³ Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
    but will be completely desolate.^(A)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;^(B)
    they will scoff^(C) because of all her wounds.^(D)

How the oppressor^(C) has come to an end!
    How his fury^[a] has ended!
⁵ The Lord has broken the rod^(D) of the wicked,^(E)
    the scepter^(F) of the rulers,
⁶ which in anger struck down peoples^(G)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued^(H) nations
    with relentless aggression.^(I)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;^(J)
    they break into singing.^(K)
8 Even the junipers^(L) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”^(M)

⁹ The realm of the dead^(N) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed^(O) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders^(P) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.^(Q)
10 They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”^(R)
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,^(S)
    along with the noise of your harps;^(T)
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms^(U) cover you.^(V)

¹² How you have fallen^(W) from heaven,
    morning star,^(X) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!^(Y)
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend^(Z) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne^(AA)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,^(AB)
    on the utmost heights^(AC) of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;^(AD)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”^(AE)
15 But you are brought down^(AF) to the realm of the dead,^(AG)
    to the depths^(AH) of the pit.^(AI)

¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:^(AJ)
“Is this the man who shook^(AK) the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness,^(AL)
    who overthrew^(AM) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”^(AN)

¹⁸ All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.^(AO)
19 But you are cast out^(AP) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,^(AQ)
    with those pierced by the sword,^(AR)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.^(AS)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,

¹⁵ He will spit out the riches^(A) he swallowed;
    God will make his stomach vomit^(B) them up.
¹⁶ He will suck the poison^(C) of serpents;
    the fangs of an adder will kill him.^(D)
17 He will not enjoy the streams,
    the rivers^(E) flowing with honey^(F) and cream.^(G)
18 What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;^(H)
    he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.^(I)
19 For he has oppressed the poor^(J) and left them destitute;^(K)
    he has seized houses^(L) he did not build.

²⁰ “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;^(M)
    he cannot save himself by his treasure.^(N)
21 Nothing is left for him to devour;
    his prosperity will not endure.^(O)
22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;^(P)
    the full force of misery will come upon him.^(Q)
23 When he has filled his belly,^(R)
    God will vent his burning anger^(S) against him
    and rain down his blows on him.^(T)
24 Though he flees^(U) from an iron weapon,
    a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.^(V)
25 He pulls it out of his back,
    the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors^(W) will come over him;^(X)
26     total darkness^(Y) lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire^(Z) unfanned will consume him^(AA)
    and devour what is left in his tent.^(AB)
27 The heavens will expose his guilt;
    the earth will rise up against him.^(AC)
28 A flood will carry off his house,^(AD)
    rushing waters^[a] on the day of God’s wrath.^(AE)
29 Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
    the heritage appointed for them by God.”^(AF)

“Balak brought me from Aram,^(C)
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains.^(D)
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me;
    come, denounce Israel.’^(E)