Isaiah 14 | King James Version

King James Version

1 For 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. 2 And 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. 3 And 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, 4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! 5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. 6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. 8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying , Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. 9 Hell 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. 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For 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: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They 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; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But 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. 20 Thou 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. 21 Prepare 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. 22 For 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. 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. 24 The 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: 25 That 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. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it ? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? 28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. 29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent' root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 30 And 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. 31 Howl, 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. 32 What 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.

New International Reader’s Version

from Biblica

1 The LORD will show tender love towards Jacob’s people. Once again he will choose Israel. He’ll give them homes in their own land. Outsiders will join them. They and the people of Jacob will become one people. 2 Nations will help Israel return to their own land. Israel will possess other nations. They will serve Israel as male and female servants in the LORD’s land. The Israelites will make prisoners of those who had held them as prisoners. Israel will rule over those who had crushed them. 3 The LORD will put an end to Israel’s suffering and trouble. They will no longer be forced to do hard labour. At that time, 4 they will make fun of the king of Babylon. They will say, ‘See how the one who crushed others has fallen! See how his anger has come to an end! 5 The LORD has taken away the authority of evil people. He has broken the power of rulers. 6 When they became angry, they struck down nations. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again. 7 All the lands now enjoy peace and rest. They break out into singing. 8 Even the juniper trees show how happy they are. The cedar trees of Lebanon celebrate too. They say, “Babylon, you have fallen. Now no one comes and cuts us down.” 9 ‘King of Babylon, many people in the place of the dead are really excited. They’re excited about meeting you when you go down there. The spirits of the dead get up to welcome you. At one time all of them were leaders in the world. They were kings over the nations. They get up from their thrones. 10 All of them call out to you. They say, “You have become weak, just as we are. You have become like us.” 11 Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave. The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power. Maggots are spread out under you. Worms cover you. 12 ‘King of Babylon, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought down nations. But now you have been thrown down to the earth! 13 You said in your heart, “I will go up to the heavens. I’ll raise my throne above the stars of God. I’ll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet. I’ll set up my throne on the highest slopes of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will rise above the tops of the clouds. I’ll make myself like the Most High God.” 15 But now you have been brought down to the place of the dead. You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit. 16 ‘Those who see you stare at you. They think about what has happened to you. They say to themselves, “Is this the man who shook the earth? Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear? 17 Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?” 18 ‘All the kings of the nations are buried with honour. Each of them lies in his own tomb. 19 But you have been thrown out of your tomb. You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away. You are covered with the bodies of those who have been killed by swords. You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them. You are like a dead body that people have walked on. 20 You won’t be buried like other kings. That’s because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. ‘Let the children of that evil man be killed. Let none of them be left to carry on the family name. 21 So prepare a place to kill his children. Kill them because of the sins of the rulers who lived before them. They must not rise to power. They must not rule over the world. They must not cover the earth with their cities.’ 22 ‘I will rise up against them,’ announces the LORD who rules over all. ‘I will destroy Babylon. It will not be remembered anymore. No one will be left alive there. I will destroy its people and their children after them,’ announces the LORD. 23 ‘I will turn it into a place where nothing but owls can live. I will turn it into a swamp. I will sweep through it like a broom and destroy everything,’ announces the LORD who rules over all. 24 The LORD who rules over all has made a promise. He has said, ‘You can be sure that what I have planned will happen. What I have decided will take place. 25 I will crush the Assyrians in my land. On my mountains I will walk all over them. The yokes they put on my people will be removed. The heavy load they put on their shoulders will be taken away.’ 26 That’s how the LORD carries out his plan all over the world. That’s how he reaches out his powerful hand to punish all the nations. 27 The LORD who rules over all has planned it. Who can stop him? He has reached out his powerful hand. Who can keep him from using it?

A prophecy against the Philistines

28 This prophecy came to me from the LORD in the year King Ahaz died. The LORD said, 29 ‘The rod of Assyria has struck all of you Philistines. But do not be glad that it is broken. That rod is like a snake that will produce an even more poisonous snake. It will produce a darting, poisonous snake. 30 Even the poorest people in Israel will have plenty to eat. Those who are in need will lie down in safety. But I will destroy your families. They will die of hunger. I will kill any of them who are still left alive. 31 ‘Cities of Philistia, cry out for help! Scream in pain! All you Philistines, melt away in fear! An army is coming from the north in a cloud of dust. No one in its ranks is falling behind. 32 What answer should be given to the messengers from that nation? Tell them, “The LORD has made Zion secure. His suffering people will find safety there.” ’