Isaiah 14

Chapter 14

A Taunt for Babylon’s King

1 But the LORD will have mercy on the descendants of Jacob. He will choose Israel as his special people once again. He will bring them back to settle once again in their own land. And people from many different nations will come and join them there and unite with the people of Israel.t

2 The nations of the world will help the LORD’s people to return, and those who come to live in their land will serve them. Those who captured Israel will themselves be captured, and Israel will rule over its enemies.
3 In that wonderful day when the LORD gives his people rest from sorrow and fear, from slavery and chains,

4 you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say,
“The mighty man has been destroyed.
Yes, your insolencet is ended.5 For the LORD has crushed your wicked power
and broken your evil rule.6 You struck the people with endless blows of rage
and held the nations in your angry grip
with unrelenting tyranny.7 But finally the earth is at rest and quiet.
Now it can sing again!8 Even the trees of the forest—
the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon—
sing out this joyous song:
‘Since you have been cut down,
no one will come now to cut us down!’9 “In the place of the deadt there is excitement
over your arrival.
The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead
stand up to see you.10 With one voice they all cry out,
‘Now you are as weak as we are!11 Your might and power were buried with you.t
The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased.
Now maggots are your sheet,
and worms your blanket.’12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
you who destroyed the nations of the world.13 For you said to yourself,
‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
far away in the north.t14 I will climb to the highest heavens
and be like the Most High.’15 Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead,
down to its lowest depths.16 Everyone there will stare at you and ask,
‘Can this be the one who shook the earth
and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?17 Is this the one who destroyed the world
and made it into a wasteland?
Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities
and had no mercy on his prisoners?’18 “The kings of the nations lie in stately glory,
each in his own tomb,19 but you will be thrown out of your grave
like a worthless branch.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
you will be dumped into a mass grave
with those killed in battle.
You will descend to the pit.20 You will not be given a proper burial,
for you have destroyed your nation
and slaughtered your people.
The descendants of such an evil person
will never again receive honor.21 Kill this man’s children!
Let them die because of their father’s sins!
They must not rise and conquer the earth,
filling the world with their cities.”22 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says:
“I, myself, have risen against Babylon!
I will destroy its children and its children’s children,”
says the LORD.23 “I will make Babylon a desolate place of owls,
filled with swamps and marshes.
I will sweep the land with the broom of destruction.
I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

A Message about Assyria

24 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath:
“It will all happen as I have planned.
It will be as I have decided.25 I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel;
I will trample them on my mountains.
My people will no longer be their slaves
nor bow down under their heavy loads.26 I have a plan for the whole earth,
a hand of judgment upon all the nations.27 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—
who can change his plans?
When his hand is raised,
who can stop him?”

A Message about Philistia

28 This message came to me the year King Ahaz died:t
29 Do not rejoice, you Philistines,
that the rod that struck you is broken—
that the king who attacked you is dead.
For from that snake a more poisonous snake will be born,
a fiery serpent to destroy you!30 I will feed the poor in my pasture;
the needy will lie down in peace.
But as for you, I will wipe you out with famine
and destroy the few who remain.31 Wail at the gates! Weep in the cities!
Melt with fear, you Philistines!
A powerful army comes like smoke from the north.
Each soldier rushes forward eager to fight.

32 What should we tell the Philistine messengers? Tell them,
“The LORD has built Jerusalemt;
its walls will give refuge to his oppressed people.”

ISAIAH 14

The [Lord]'s People //Will Come Home

1 The [Lord] will have mercy on Israel and will let them be his chosen people once again. He will bring them back to their own land, and foreigners will join them as part of Israel.

2 Other nations will lead them home, and Israel will make slaves of them in the land that belongs to the Lord. Israel will rule over those who once governed and mistreated them.

Death to the King //of Babylonia!

4 Then you will make fun of the King of Babylonia by singing this song:
That cruel monster is done for!
He won't attack us again.t

5 The [Lord] has crushed the power
of those evil kings,

6 who were furious
and never stopped abusing
the people of other nations.

7 Now all the world is at peace;
its people are celebrating
with joyful songs.

8 King of Babylonia,
even the cypress trees
and the cedars of Lebanon
celebrate and say,
“Since you were put down,
no one comes along
to chop us down.”

9 The world of the dead
eagerly waits for you.
With great excitement,
the spirits of ancient rulers
hear about your coming.

10 Each one of them will say,
“Now you are just as weak
as any of us!

11 Your pride and your music
have ended here
in the world of the dead.
Worms are your blanket,
maggots are your bed.”

12  t You, the bright morning star,
have fallen from the sky!
You brought down other nations;
now you are brought down.

13  t You said to yourself,
“I'll climb to heaven
and place my throne
above the highest stars.
I'll sit there with the gods
far away in the north.

14 I'll be above the clouds,
just like God Most High.”

15 But now you are deep
in the world of the dead.

16 Those who see you will stare
and wonder, “Is this the man
who made the world tremble
and shook up kingdoms?

17 Did he capture every city
and make earth a desert?
Is he the one who refused
to let prisoners go home?”

18 When kings die, they are buried
in glorious tombs.

19 But you will be left unburied,
just another dead body
lying underfoot
like a broken branch.
You will be one of many
killed in battle and gone down
to the deep rocky pit.t

20 You won't be buried with kings;
you ruined your country
and murdered your people.
You evil monster!
We hope that your family
will be forgotten forever.

21 We will slaughter your sons
to make them pay for the crimes
of their ancestors.
They won't take over the world
or build cities
anywhere on this earth.
22 The [Lord] All-Powerful has promised to attack Babylonia and destroy everyone there, so that none of them will ever be remembered again.

23 The [Lord] will sweep out the people, and the land will become a swamp for wild animals.

Assyria Will Be Punished

24  t The [Lord] All-Powerful
has made this promise:
Everything I have planned
will happen just as I said.

25 I will wipe out every Assyrian
in my country,
and I will crush those
on my mountains.
I will free my people
from slavery
to the Assyrians.

26 I have planned this
for the whole world,
and my mighty arm
controls every nation.

27 I, the [Lord] All-Powerful,
have made these plans.
No one can stop me now!

The Philistines //Will Be Punished

28  t This message came from the [Lord] in the year King Ahaz died:t

29  t Philistines, don't be happy
just because the rod
that punished you
is broken.
That rod will become
a poisonous snake, and then
a flying fiery dragon.

30 The poor and needy will find
pastures for their sheep
and will live in safety.
But I will starve some of you,
and others will be killed.

31 Cry and weep in the gates
of your towns,
you Philistines!
Smoke blows in from the north, t
and every soldier is ready.

32 If a messenger comes
from a distant nation,
you must say:
“The [Lord] built Zion.
Even the poorest of his people
will find safety there.”