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
New American Standard Bible
3 And it will be on the day when the Lord gives you (A)rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4 that you will (B)take up this [a]taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,
“How (C)the oppressor has ceased,
And how the [b]onslaught has ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of rulers,
6 (D)Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,
Which [c]subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;
They (E)break forth into shouts of joy.
8 Even the (F)juniper trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you have been laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’
9 (G)Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come;
It stirs the [d]spirits of the dead for you, all the [e]leaders of the earth;
It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
10 (H)They will all respond and say to you,
‘Even you have become weak as we,
You have become like us.
11 Your (I)pride and the music of your harps
Have been brought down to Sheol;
Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you
And worms are your covering.’
12 How you have (J)fallen from heaven,
You [f](K)star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who defeated the nations!
13 But you said in your heart,
‘I will (L)ascend to heaven;
I will (M)raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
(N)I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 Nevertheless you (O)will be brought down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you,
They will [g]closely examine you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a (P)wilderness
And overthrew its cities,
Who (Q)did not [h]allow his prisoners to go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
Each in his own [i]tomb.
19 But you have been (R)hurled out of your tomb
Like [j]a rejected branch,
[k]Clothed with those killed who have been pierced with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the (S)pit
Like a (T)trampled corpse.
20 You will not be united with them in burial,
Because you have ruined your country,
You have killed your people.
May the (U)descendants of evildoers never be mentioned.
21 Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons
Because of the (V)wrongdoing of their fathers.
They must not arise and take possession of the earth,
And fill the surface of the world with cities.”
22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of armies, “and eliminate from Babylon (W)name and survivors, (X)offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord. 23 “I will also make it the property of the (Y)hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of (Z)destruction,” declares the Lord of armies.
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- Isaiah 14:4 Or proverb
- Isaiah 14:4 As in DSS and ancient versions; MT uncertain
- Isaiah 14:6 Or ruled
- Isaiah 14:9 Or shades (Heb Repha’im)
- Isaiah 14:9 Lit male goats
- Isaiah 14:12 Heb Helel; i.e., shining one
- Isaiah 14:16 Lit show themselves attentive to
- Isaiah 14:17 Lit open
- Isaiah 14:18 Lit house
- Isaiah 14:19 Lit an abhorred branch
- Isaiah 14:19 Or As the clothing of those who are slain
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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
