Isaiah 14:1-23

Israel's Taunt

1 When the LORD will 1have compassion on Jacob and again 2choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then 3strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.
2 The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the 4house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD 5as male servants and female servants *; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.
3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you 6rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved,
4 that you will 7take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How 8the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased!
5 "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers
6 9Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing * strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained * persecution.
7 "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They 10break forth into shouts of joy.
8 "Even the 11cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.'
9 "12Sheol from beneath * is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.
10 "13They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us.
11 'Your 14pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.'
12 "How you have 15fallen from heaven, O 16star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will 17ascend to heaven; I will 18raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; 19I will make myself like the Most High.'
15 "Nevertheless you 20will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a 21wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who 22did not allow his prisoners to go home?'
18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.
19 "But you have been 23cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the 24pit Like a 25trampled corpse.
20 "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the 26offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.
21 "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the 27iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."
22 "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon 28name and survivors, 29offspring and posterity," declares the LORD.
23 "I will also make it a possession for the 30hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of 31destruction," declares the LORD of hosts.

Cross References 31

  • 1. Psalms 102:13; Isaiah 49:13, 15; Isaiah 54:7, 8
  • 2. Isaiah 41:8, 9; Isaiah 44:1; Isaiah 49:7; Zechariah 1:17; Zechariah 2:12
  • 3. Isaiah 56:3, 6; Ephesians 2:12-19
  • 4. Isaiah 45:14; Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 54:3
  • 5. Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 61:5; Daniel 7:18, 27
  • 6. Ezra 9:8, 9; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 46:27
  • 7. Habakkuk 2:6
  • 8. Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 16:4; Isaiah 49:26; Isaiah 51:13; Isaiah 54:14
  • 9. Isaiah 10:14; Isaiah 47:6
  • 10. Psalms 47:1-3; Psalms 98:1-9; Psalms 126:1-3
  • 11. Isaiah 55:12; Ezekiel 31:16
  • 12. Isaiah 5:14
  • 13. Ezekiel 32:21
  • 14. Isaiah 5:14
  • 15. Isaiah 34:4; Luke 10:18; Revelation 8:10; Revelation 9:1
  • 16. 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16
  • 17. Ezekiel 28:2
  • 18. Daniel 5:22, 23; Daniel 8:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:4
  • 19. Isaiah 47:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:4
  • 20. Ezekiel 28:8; Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15
  • 21. Joel 2:3
  • 22. Isaiah 45:13
  • 23. Isaiah 22:16-18
  • 24. Jeremiah 41:7, 9
  • 25. Isaiah 5:25
  • 26. Job 18:16, 19; Psalms 21:10; Psalms 37:28; Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 31:2
  • 27. Exodus 20:5; Leviticus 26:39; Isaiah 13:16; Matthew 23:35
  • 28. Proverbs 10:7
  • 29. Job 18:19; Isaiah 47:9
  • 30. Isaiah 34:11; Zephaniah 2:14
  • 31. 1 Kings 14:10; Isaiah 13:6

Footnotes 12

  • [a]. Lit "the captors will become their captives"
  • [b]. Or "proverb"
  • [c]. Amended from the meaningless "medhebah" to "marhebah"
  • [d]. Or "ruled"
  • [e]. Or "shades" (Heb "Repha'im")
  • [f]. Lit "male goats"
  • [g]. Heb "Helel;" i.e. shining one
  • [h]. Lit "show themselves attentive to"
  • [i]. Lit "open"
  • [j]. Lit "house"
  • [k]. Lit "an abhorred branch"
  • [l]. Or "As the clothing of those who are slain"
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