1 F or the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling 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 T hen people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. Fall of the King of Babylon

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 I t shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were 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 you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has 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 has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers;

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

6 H e who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders.

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 quiet; They break forth into singing.

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

8 I ndeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, ‘Since you were cut down, No woodsman has 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 “ Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has 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 T hey all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?

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

11 Y our pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.’ The Fall of Lucifer

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 “ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened 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 you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest 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 you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths 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 “ Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘ Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook 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 W ho made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open 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 “ All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone 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 you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot.

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 Y ou will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named.

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 Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities.” Babylon Destroyed

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 “ For I will rise up against them,” says the Lord of hosts, “And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity,” says 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 porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts. Assyria Destroyed

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 has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall 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 on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from 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 against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over 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 has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” Philistia Destroyed

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 T his is the burden which came in the year that King Ahaz died.

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

29 “ Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will 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 T he firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety; I will kill your roots with famine, And it will slay your 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 W ail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will 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 will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge 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.