Isaiah 13:17-14:10

New International Version

¹⁷See, I will stir up^(A) against them the Medes,^(B)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.^(C)
¹⁸Their bows^(D) will strike down the young men;^(E)
    they will have no mercy^(F) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.^(G)
¹⁹Babylon,^(H) the jewel of kingdoms,^(I)
    the pride and glory^(J) of the Babylonians,^[a]
will be overthrown^(K) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.^(L)
²⁰She will never be inhabited^(M)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads^(N) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
²¹But desert creatures^(O) will lie there,
    jackals^(P) will fill her houses;
there the owls^(Q) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats^(R) will leap about.
²²Hyenas^(S) will inhabit her strongholds,^(T)
    jackals^(U) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,^(V)
    and her days will not be prolonged.^(W)

14 The Lord will have compassion^(X) on Jacob;
    once again he will choose^(Y) Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.^(Z)
Foreigners^(AA) will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
²Nations will take them
    and bring^(AB) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations^(AC)
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives^(AD) of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.^(AE)

³On the day the Lord gives you relief^(AF) from your suffering and turmoil^(AG) and from the harsh labor forced on you,^(AH) ⁴you will take up this taunt^(AI) against the king of Babylon:^(AJ)

How the oppressor^(AK) has come to an end!
    How his fury^[b] has ended!
⁵The Lord has broken the rod^(AL) of the wicked,^(AM)
    the scepter^(AN) of the rulers,
⁶which in anger struck down peoples^(AO)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued^(AP) nations
    with relentless aggression.^(AQ)
⁷All the lands are at rest and at peace;^(AR)
    they break into singing.^(AS)
⁸Even the junipers^(AT) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”^(AU)

⁹The realm of the dead^(AV) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed^(AW) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders^(AX) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.^(AY)
¹⁰They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”^(AZ)