1 T he Lord will have loving-pity on Jacob and will again choose Israel. He will have them return to live in their own land. Then people from other countries will come and be with them, and will join themselves to the family of Jacob.

For 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.

2 N ations will take them and bring them to their place. The family of Israel will own them in the Lord’s land as men and women servants. They will take those who had taken them away and they will rule over those who had made it hard for them. Babylon’s King in the World of the Dead

Then 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

3 W hen the Lord gives you rest from your pain and trouble and the hard work which you were made to do,

It 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,

4 y ou will speak against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the one who made it hard for us has been stopped! How his anger has been stopped!

that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!

5 T he Lord has broken the walking stick of the sinful, the power of rulers,

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

6 w hich used to beat the people in anger without stopping. The nations were ruled in anger. It was very hard for the people and there was no pity shown to them.

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

7 “ Now the whole earth is at rest and quiet. They sing out with joy.

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

8 E ven the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon are glad over you, and say, ‘Since you were cut down no one comes to cut us down.’

Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, ‘Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us.’

9 T he world of the dead below wants to meet you when you come. It wakes up the spirits of the dead for you, all the leaders of the earth. It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

“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.

10 A ll of them will speak and say to you, ‘Even you have become as weak as we. You have become like us.

They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?

11 Y our honor and power along with the music of your harps have been brought down to the place of the dead. Worms are spread out as your bed under you and worms cover you.’

Your 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

12 “ How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the morning! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have made the nations weak!

“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!

13 Y ou said in your heart, ‘I will go up to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. And I will sit on the mount of meeting in the far north.

For 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;

14 I will go much higher than the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.’

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

15 B ut you will be brought down to the place of the dead, to the bottom of the grave.

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

16 T hose who see you will look hard at you and think about you, and say, ‘Is this the man who made the earth shake with fear, who shook nations?

“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 I s this the man who made the world like a desert and destroyed its cities, who did not let those whom he had put in prison go home?’

Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

18 “ All the kings of the nations lie in greatness, each in his own grave.

“All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house;

19 B ut you have been thrown out of your grave like a hated part of the family. You are clothed with the dead who were killed with a sword, who go down to the stones of the grave, like a dead body crushed under foot.

But 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.

20 Y ou will not be joined with them when you are buried, because you have destroyed your country. You have killed your people. May the children of sinners never be spoken about again!

You 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.

21 M ake a place ready for his sons to be killed because of the sin of their fathers. They must not come into power and take the earth, and fill the world with cities.” God Will Destroy Babylon

Prepare 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

22 “ I will come against them,” says the Lord of All. “And I will cut off from Babylon its name and people, its children and their children,” says the Lord.

“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.

23 “ I will turn it into a place for hedgehogs, full of pools of water. And I will go over it and destroy it,” says the Lord of All. God Will Destroy the Assyrians

“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

24 T he Lord of All has promised, “It will happen just as I have planned it. As I have planned, so will it be.

The 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:

25 I will break Assyria in My land. I will crush him under foot on My mountains. Then his load will be taken from My people. His load will be taken from their shoulder.”

That 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.

26 T his is the plan made against the whole earth and this is the hand that is put out against all the nations.

This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

27 F or the Lord of All has planned, and who can keep it from happening? Who can turn His hand back? God Will Destroy the Philistines

For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” Philistia Destroyed

28 I n the year that King Ahaz died this special word came:

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

29 “ Do not be glad, O Philistia, all of you, because the special stick that made it hard for you is broken. One snake dies and a worse one comes, a snake that can fly.

“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.

30 T he poor will eat. Those in need will lie down and be safe. I will destroy all of you with hunger and it will kill those who are left.

The 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.

31 C ry out, O gate. Cry, O city. All you Philistines are weak in heart. For smoke comes from the north, and everyone keeps his place in his army.

Wail, 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.”

32 W hat answer will be given to the men sent by the nation? That the Lord is the builder of Zion, and it will be a safe place for His people who are poor and troubled.”

What 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.