1 F or the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will again choose Israel and set them in their own land; and foreigners will join them and will cleave to the house of Jacob (Israel).

2 A nd the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

And the peoples shall take them and bring them to their own country and help restore them. And the house of Israel will possess them in the land of the Lord as male and female servants; and they will take captive those whose captives they have been, and they will rule over their oppressors.

3 A nd it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

When the Lord has given you rest from your sorrow and pain and from your trouble and unrest and from the hard service with which you were made to serve,

4 t hat thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

You shall take up this parable against the king of Babylon and say, How the oppressor has stilled! The golden and exacting city has ceased!

5 T he Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,

6 H e who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

Who smote the peoples in anger with incessant blows and trod down the nations in wrath with unrelenting persecution— he who smote is persecuted and no one hinders any more.

7 T he whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing.

8 Y ea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

Yes, the fir trees and cypresses rejoice at you, even the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes up against us.

9 H ell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead) below is stirred up to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the shades of the dead to greet you—even all the chief ones of the earth; it raises from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10 A ll they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

All of them will say to you, Have you also become weak as we are? Have you become like us?

11 T hy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

Your pomp and magnificence are brought down to Sheol (the underworld), along with the sound of your harps; the maggots are spread out under you and worms cover you.

12 H ow art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you who weakened and laid low the nations

13 F or thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

15 Y et thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the innermost recesses of the pit (the region of the dead).

16 T hey that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

Those who see you will gaze at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?—

17 t hat made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who would not permit his prisoners to return home?

18 A ll the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

All the kings of the nations, all of them lie sleeping in glorious array, each one in his own sepulcher.

19 B ut thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

But you are cast away from your tomb like a loathed growth or premature birth or an abominable branch and like the raiment of the slain; and you are clothed with the slain, those thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trodden underfoot.

20 T hou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and have slain your people. May the descendants of evildoers nevermore be named!

21 P repare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

Prepare a slaughtering place for his sons because of the guilt and iniquity of their fathers, so that they may not rise, possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

22 F or I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.

And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son, says the Lord.

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.

I will also make it a possession of the hedgehog and porcupine, and of marshes and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of hosts.

24 T he Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought and planned, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand—

25 t hat I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains I will tread him underfoot. Then shall the yoke depart from, and his burden depart from their shoulders.

26 T his is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

27 F or the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who can annul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

28 I n the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

In the year that King Ahaz died there came this mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up):

29 R ejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that smote you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth an adder, and its offspring will be a fiery, flying serpent.

30 A nd the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

And the firstborn of the poor and the poorest of the poor shall feed on My meadows, and the needy will lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant shall be slain.

31 H owl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

Howl, O gate! Cry, O city! Melt away, O Philistia, all of you! For there is coming a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks and none stands aloof.

32 W hat shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, and in her shall the poor and afflicted of His people trust and find refuge.