A Hymn of Praise

12 And (A)in that day you will say:

“O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
(B)‘For (C)Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’ ”

Therefore with joy you will draw (D)water
From the wells of salvation.

And in that day you will say:

(E)“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
(F)Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His (G)name is exalted.
(H)Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
(I)Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is (J)the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

Proclamation Against Babylon

13 The (K)burden[a] against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.

“Lift(L) up a banner (M)on the high mountain,
Raise your voice to them;
(N)Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.
I have commanded My [b]sanctified ones;
I have also called (O)My mighty ones for My anger—
Those who (P)rejoice in My exaltation.”

The (Q)noise of a multitude in the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together!
The Lord of hosts musters
The army for battle.
They come from a far country,
From the end of heaven—
The (R)Lord and His [c]weapons of indignation,
To destroy the whole (S)land.

Wail, (T)for the day of the Lord is at hand!
(U)It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore all hands will be limp,
Every man’s heart will melt,
And they will be afraid.
(V)Pangs[d] and sorrows will take hold of them;
They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;
They will be amazed at one another;
Their faces will be like flames.

Behold, (W)the day of the Lord comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy (X)its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be (Y)darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 “I will (Z)punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
(AA)I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the [e]terrible.
12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,
A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 (AB)Therefore I will shake the heavens,
And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the Lord of hosts
And in (AC)the day of His fierce anger.
14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle,
And as a sheep that no man [f]takes up;
(AD)Every man will turn to his own people,
And everyone will flee to his own land.
15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through,
And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Their children also will be (AE)dashed to pieces before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives (AF)ravished.

17 “Behold,(AG) I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not [g]regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 (AH)And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew (AI)Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 (AJ)It will never be inhabited,
Nor will it be settled from generation to generation;
Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there,
Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
21 (AK)But wild beasts of the desert will lie there,
And their houses will be full of [h]owls;
Ostriches will dwell there,
And wild goats will caper there.
22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels,
And jackals in their pleasant palaces.
(AL)Her time is near to come,
And her days will not be prolonged.”

Mercy on Jacob

14 For the Lord (AM)will have mercy on Jacob, and (AN)will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. (AO)The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. Then people will take them (AP)and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, (AQ)and rule over their oppressors.

Fall of the King of Babylon

It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you (AR)will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:

“How the oppressor has ceased,
The (AS)golden[i] city ceased!
The Lord has broken (AT)the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers;
He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger,
Is persecuted and no one hinders.
The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
They break forth into singing.
(AU)Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
And the cedars of Lebanon,
Saying, ‘Since you [j]were cut down,
No woodsman has come up against us.’

“Hell(AV)[k] from beneath is excited about you,
To meet you at your coming;
It stirs up the dead for you,
All the chief ones of the earth;
It has raised up from their thrones
All the kings of the nations.
10 They all shall (AW)speak and say to you:
‘Have you also become as weak as we?
Have you become like us?
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
And the sound of your stringed instruments;
The maggot is spread under you,
And worms cover you.’

The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How(AX) you are fallen from heaven,
O [l]Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
(AY)‘I will ascend into heaven,
(AZ)I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the (BA)mount of the congregation
(BB)On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
(BC)I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you (BD)shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the [m]lowest depths of the Pit.

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who [n]did not open the house of his prisoners?’

18 “All the kings of the nations,
All of them, sleep in glory,
Everyone in his own house;
19 But you are cast out of your grave
Like an [o]abominable branch,
Like the garment of those who are slain,
[p]Thrust through with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit,
Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
Because you have destroyed your land
And slain your people.
(BE)The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children
(BF)Because of the iniquity of their fathers,
Lest they rise up and possess the land,
And fill the face of the world with cities.”

Babylon Destroyed

22 “For I will rise up against them,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And cut off from Babylon (BG)the name and (BH)remnant,
(BI)And offspring and posterity,” says the Lord.
23 “I will also make it a possession for the (BJ)porcupine,
And marshes of muddy water;
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.

Assyria Destroyed

24 The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall (BK)stand:
25 That I will break the (BL)Assyrian in My land,
And on My mountains tread him underfoot.
Then (BM)his yoke shall be removed from them,
And his burden removed from their shoulders.
26 This is the (BN)purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts has (BO)purposed,
And who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
And who will turn it back?”

Philistia Destroyed

28 This is the [q]burden which came in the year that (BP)King Ahaz died.

29 “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia,
(BQ)Because the rod that struck you is broken;
For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper,
(BR)And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.
30 The firstborn of the poor will feed,
And the needy will lie down in safety;
I will kill your roots with famine,
And it will slay your remnant.
31 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city!
All you of Philistia are dissolved;
For smoke will come from the north,
And no one will be alone in his [r]appointed times.”

32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation?
That (BS)the Lord has founded Zion,
And (BT)the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 13:1 oracle, prophecy
  2. Isaiah 13:3 consecrated or set apart
  3. Isaiah 13:5 Or instruments
  4. Isaiah 13:8 Sharp pains
  5. Isaiah 13:11 Or tyrants
  6. Isaiah 13:14 gathers
  7. Isaiah 13:17 esteem
  8. Isaiah 13:21 Or howling creatures
  9. Isaiah 14:4 Or insolent
  10. Isaiah 14:8 have lain down
  11. Isaiah 14:9 Or Sheol
  12. Isaiah 14:12 Lit. Day Star
  13. Isaiah 14:15 Lit. recesses
  14. Isaiah 14:17 Would not release
  15. Isaiah 14:19 despised
  16. Isaiah 14:19 Pierced
  17. Isaiah 14:28 oracle, prophecy
  18. Isaiah 14:31 Or ranks

Songs of Praise

12 In that day(A) you will say:

“I will praise(B) you, Lord.
    Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away(C)
    and you have comforted(D) me.
Surely God is my salvation;(E)
    I will trust(F) and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself,(G) is my strength(H) and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.(I)
With joy you will draw water(J)
    from the wells(K) of salvation.

In that day(L) you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;(M)
    make known among the nations(N) what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.(O)
Sing(P) to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;(Q)
    let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,(R) people of Zion,
    for great(S) is the Holy One of Israel(T) among you.(U)

A Prophecy Against Babylon

13 A prophecy(V) against Babylon(W) that Isaiah son of Amoz(X) saw:(Y)

Raise a banner(Z) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates(AA) of the nobles.
I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors(AB) to carry out my wrath(AC)
    those who rejoice(AD) in my triumph.

Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!(AE)
Listen, an uproar(AF) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty(AG) is mustering(AH)
    an army for war.
They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens(AI)
the Lord and the weapons(AJ) of his wrath(AK)
    to destroy(AL) the whole country.

Wail,(AM) for the day(AN) of the Lord is near;
    it will come like destruction(AO) from the Almighty.[b](AP)
Because of this, all hands will go limp,(AQ)
    every heart will melt with fear.(AR)
Terror(AS) will seize them,
    pain and anguish will grip(AT) them;
    they will writhe like a woman in labor.(AU)
They will look aghast at each other,
    their faces aflame.(AV)

See, the day(AW) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel(AX) day, with wrath(AY) and fierce anger(AZ)
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.(BA)
The rising sun(BB) will be darkened(BC)
    and the moon will not give its light.(BD)
11 I will punish(BE) the world for its evil,
    the wicked(BF) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty(BG)
    and will humble(BH) the pride of the ruthless.(BI)
12 I will make people(BJ) scarcer than pure gold,
    more rare than the gold of Ophir.(BK)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;(BL)
    and the earth will shake(BM) from its place
at the wrath(BN) of the Lord Almighty,
    in the day of his burning anger.(BO)

14 Like a hunted(BP) gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd,(BQ)
they will all return to their own people,
    they will flee(BR) to their native land.(BS)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall(BT) by the sword.(BU)
16 Their infants(BV) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.(BW)

17 See, I will stir up(BX) against them the Medes,(BY)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.(BZ)
18 Their bows(CA) will strike down the young men;(CB)
    they will have no mercy(CC) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.(CD)
19 Babylon,(CE) the jewel of kingdoms,(CF)
    the pride and glory(CG) of the Babylonians,[c]
will be overthrown(CH) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.(CI)
20 She will never be inhabited(CJ)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads(CK) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
21 But desert creatures(CL) will lie there,
    jackals(CM) will fill her houses;
there the owls(CN) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats(CO) will leap about.
22 Hyenas(CP) will inhabit her strongholds,(CQ)
    jackals(CR) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,(CS)
    and her days will not be prolonged.(CT)

14 The Lord will have compassion(CU) on Jacob;
    once again he will choose(CV) Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.(CW)
Foreigners(CX) will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
Nations will take them
    and bring(CY) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations(CZ)
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives(DA) of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.(DB)

On the day the Lord gives you relief(DC) from your suffering and turmoil(DD) and from the harsh labor forced on you,(DE) you will take up this taunt(DF) against the king of Babylon:(DG)

How the oppressor(DH) has come to an end!
    How his fury[d] has ended!
The Lord has broken the rod(DI) of the wicked,(DJ)
    the scepter(DK) of the rulers,
which in anger struck down peoples(DL)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued(DM) nations
    with relentless aggression.(DN)
All the lands are at rest and at peace;(DO)
    they break into singing.(DP)
Even the junipers(DQ) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”(DR)

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

12 How you have fallen(EB) from heaven,
    morning star,(EC) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!(ED)
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend(EE) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne(EF)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,(EG)
    on the utmost heights(EH) of Mount Zaphon.[e]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;(EI)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”(EJ)
15 But you are brought down(EK) to the realm of the dead,(EL)
    to the depths(EM) of the pit.(EN)

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

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

Let the offspring(EZ) of the wicked(FA)
    never be mentioned(FB) again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children(FC)
    for the sins of their ancestors;(FD)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

22 “I will rise up(FE) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name(FF) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,(FG)
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls(FH)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,(FI)
    declares the Lord Almighty.(FJ)

24 The Lord Almighty has sworn,(FK)

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

26 This is the plan(FQ) determined for the whole world;
    this is the hand(FR) stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed,(FS) and who can thwart him?
    His hand(FT) is stretched out, and who can turn it back?(FU)

A Prophecy Against the Philistines

28 This prophecy(FV) came in the year(FW) King Ahaz(FX) died:

29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,(FY)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,(FZ)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.(GA)
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
    and the needy(GB) will lie down in safety.(GC)
But your root I will destroy by famine;(GD)
    it will slay(GE) your survivors.(GF)

31 Wail,(GG) you gate!(GH) Howl, you city!
    Melt away, all you Philistines!(GI)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,(GJ)
    and there is not a straggler in its ranks.(GK)
32 What answer shall be given
    to the envoys(GL) of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,(GM)
    and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.(GN)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 12:2 Or song
  2. Isaiah 13:6 Hebrew Shaddai
  3. Isaiah 13:19 Or Chaldeans
  4. Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  5. Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.