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

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

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

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

Hell 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.

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

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

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

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

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

22 For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.

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

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you will take up this taunt(A) against the king of Babylon:(B)

How the oppressor(C) has come to an end!
    How his fury[a] has ended!
The Lord has broken the rod(D) of the wicked,(E)
    the scepter(F) of the rulers,
which in anger struck down peoples(G)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued(H) nations
    with relentless aggression.(I)
All the lands are at rest and at peace;(J)
    they break into singing.(K)
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)

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,
20     you will not join them in burial,(AT)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring(AU) of the wicked(AV)
    never be mentioned(AW) again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children(AX)
    for the sins of their ancestors;(AY)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

22 “I will rise up(AZ) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name(BA) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,(BB)
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls(BC)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,(BD)
    declares the Lord Almighty.(BE)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.