Israel’s Return
1 For the Lord will have compassion(A) on Jacob and will choose Israel again.(B) He will settle them on their own land.(C) The foreigner will join them and be united with the house of Jacob.(D)
2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess them as male and female slaves in the Lord’s land.(E) They will make captives of their captors and will rule over their oppressors.
Downfall of the King of Babylon
3 When the Lord gives you rest from your pain,(F) torment, and the hard labor(G) you were forced to do,
4 you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon(H) and say:
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5
The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers.
6 the scepter of the rulers.
It struck the peoples in anger
with unceasing blows.
It subdued the nations in rage
with relentless persecution.
7 with unceasing blows.
It subdued the nations in rage
with relentless persecution.
All the earth is calm and at rest;
people shout with a ringing cry.
8 people shout with a ringing cry.
Even the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon
rejoice over you:(I)
“Since you have been laid low,
no woodcutter has come against us.”
rejoice over you:(I)
“Since you have been laid low,
no woodcutter has come against us.”
9
Sheol below is eager to greet your coming.
He stirs up the spirits of the departed for you—
all the rulers(b) of the earth.
He makes all the kings of the nations
rise from their thrones.
10 He stirs up the spirits of the departed for you—
all the rulers(b) of the earth.
He makes all the kings of the nations
rise from their thrones.
They all respond to you, saying:
“You too have become as weak as we are;
you have become like us!
11 “You too have become as weak as we are;
you have become like us!
Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol,
along with the music of your harps.
Maggots are spread out under you,
and worms cover you.”
along with the music of your harps.
Maggots are spread out under you,
and worms cover you.”
16
Those who see you will stare at you;
they will look closely at you:
“Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble,
who shook the kingdoms,
17 they will look closely at you:
“Is this the man who caused the earth to tremble,
who shook the kingdoms,
who turned the world into a wilderness,(P)
who destroyed its cities
and would not release the prisoners to return home?”
18 who destroyed its cities
and would not release the prisoners to return home?”
All the kings of the nations
lie in splendor, each in his own tomb.
19 lie in splendor, each in his own tomb.
But you are thrown out without a grave,
like a worthless branch,
covered by those slain with the sword
and dumped into a rocky pit like a trampled corpse.
20 like a worthless branch,
covered by those slain with the sword
and dumped into a rocky pit like a trampled corpse.
You will not join them in burial,
because you destroyed your land
and slaughtered your own people.
The offspring of evildoers
will never be remembered.(Q)
21 because you destroyed your land
and slaughtered your own people.
The offspring of evildoers
will never be remembered.(Q)
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons,
because of the iniquity(R) of their fathers.
They will never rise up to possess a land
or fill the surface of the earth with cities.
because of the iniquity(R) of their fathers.
They will never rise up to possess a land
or fill the surface of the earth with cities.
22 “I will rise up against them”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will cut off from Babylon her reputation, remnant, offspring, and posterity”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
23 “I will make her a swampland and a region for screech owls,(e) and I will sweep her away with a broom of destruction.”
This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
Assyria Will Be Destroyed
24 The Lord of Hosts has sworn:
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25
I will break Assyria(T) in My land;
I will tread him down on My mountain.
Then his yoke will be taken from them,
and his burden will be removed from their shoulders.
26 I will tread him down on My mountain.
Then his yoke will be taken from them,
and his burden will be removed from their shoulders.
This is the plan(U) prepared
for the whole earth,
and this is the hand stretched out
against all the nations.
27 for the whole earth,
and this is the hand stretched out
against all the nations.
The Lord of Hosts Himself has planned it;
therefore, who can stand in its way?
It is His hand that is outstretched,
so who can turn it back?
therefore, who can stand in its way?
It is His hand that is outstretched,
so who can turn it back?
An Oracle against Philistia
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30
31
32
What answer will be given to the messengers from that nation?
The Lord has founded Zion,(AD)
and His afflicted people find refuge in her.
The Lord has founded Zion,(AD)
and His afflicted people find refuge in her.
Footnotes:
a.
Isaiah 14:4: DSS; Hb uncertain
b.
Isaiah 14:9: Lit rams
c.
Isaiah 14:12: Or Day Star, son of the dawn
d.
Isaiah 14:13: Or of Zaphon
e.
Isaiah 14:23: Or hedgehogs
f.
Isaiah 14:29: Or stock
g.
Isaiah 14:30: DSS, Syr, Tg; MT reads and he will kill
Cross references:
E.
Isaiah 14:2:
Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 45:14-25; Isaiah 49:22-26; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 61:5; Isaiah 66:19-24
S.
Isaiah 14:24:
Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 46:11; Jeremiah 23:20; Jeremiah 30:24; Jeremiah 51:29; Ephesians 1:11
X.
Isaiah 14:29:
1 Samuel 17:50; 1 Samuel 18:25-30; 1 Samuel 19:8; 1 Samuel 23:1-5; 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 2 Samuel 8:1