Isaiah 14:3-23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Downfall of the King of Babylon
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve,(A) 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
How the oppressor has ceased!
How his insolence[a] has ceased!(B)
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck down the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.(C)
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses exult over you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
“Since you were laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”(D)
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.(E)
10 All of them will speak
and say to you:
“You, too, have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!”
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
and the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
and worms are your covering.(F)
12 How you are fallen from heaven,
O Morning Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!(G)
13 You said to yourself,
“I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
on the heights of Zaphon;[b](H)
14 I will ascend to the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”(I)
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Pit.(J)
16 Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
“Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,(K)
17 who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who would not let his prisoners go home?”(L)
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb,
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like loathsome carrion,[c]
clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the Pit
like a corpse trampled underfoot.(M)
20 You will not be joined with them in burial
because you have destroyed your land;
you have killed your people.
May the descendants of evildoers
nevermore be named!(N)
21 Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their father.[d]
Let them never rise to possess the earth
or cover the face of the world with cities.(O)
22 I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, offspring and posterity, says the Lord.(P) 23 And I will make it a possession of the screech owl[e] and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts.(Q)
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Isaiah 14:3-23
English Standard Version
Israel's Remnant Taunts Babylon
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this (A)taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
(B)the insolent fury[a] ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the (C)staff of the wicked,
the (D)scepter of rulers,
6 (E)that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
(F)they break forth into singing.
8 (G)(H)The cypresses rejoice at you,
(I)the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10 (J)All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.
12 “How (K)you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, (L)son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
(M)‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
(N)I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;[b]
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 (O)But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this (P)the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
(Q)who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;[c]
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like a loathed branch,
(R)clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the pit,
like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.
“May (S)the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons
(T)because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”
22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and (U)remnant, (V)descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the (W)hedgehog,[d] and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scroll (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain
- Isaiah 14:13 Or in the remote parts of Zaphon
- Isaiah 14:18 Hebrew house
- Isaiah 14:23 Possibly porcupine, or owl
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
