1For Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob , and will yet choose Israel , and set them in their own land: and the sojourner shall join himself with them , and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob . 2And the peoples shall take them , and bring them to their place ; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for servants and for handmaids : and they shall take them captive whose captives they were ; and they shall rule over their oppressors . 3And it shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow , and from thy trouble , and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve , 4that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased ! the golden city ceased ! 5Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked , the sceptre of the rulers ; 6that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke , that ruled the nations in anger , with a persecution that none restrained . 7The whole earth is at rest , and is quiet : they break forth into singing . 8Yea , the fir-trees rejoice at thee , and the cedars of Lebanon , saying , Since thou art laid low , no hewer is come up against us . 9Sheol 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 . 10All they shall answer and say unto thee , Art thou also become weak as we ? art thou become like unto us ? 11Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol , and the noise of thy viols : the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee. 12How art thou fallen from heaven , O day-star, son of the morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations ! 13And thou saidst in thy heart , I will ascend into heaven , I will exalt my throne above the stars of God ; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation , in the uttermost parts of the north ; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ; I will make myself like the Most High . 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol , to the uttermost parts of the pit .
The Desolation of Babylon
16They that see thee shall gaze at thee , they shall consider thee , saying , Is this the man that made the earth to tremble , that did shake kingdoms ; 17that made the world as a wilderness , and overthrew the cities thereof ; that let not loose his prisoners to their home ? 18All the kings of the nations , all of them, sleep in glory , every one in his own house . 19But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch , clothed with the slain , that are thrust through with the sword , that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot. 20Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial , because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people ; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever . 21Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up , and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities . 22And I will rise up against them , saith Jehovah of hosts , and cut off from Babylon name and remnant , and son and son ’s son , saith Jehovah . 23I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water : and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction , saith Jehovah of hosts .
The Purpose of God Against the Nations
24Jehovah 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 : 25that 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 shoulder . 26This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations . 27For Jehovah of hosts hath purposed , and who shall annul it ? and his hand is stretched out , and who shall turn it back ? 28In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden . 29Rejoice not , O Philistia , all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken ; for out of the serpent ’s root shall come forth an adder , and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent . 30And the first-born of the poor shall feed , and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine , and thy remnant shall be slain . 31Howl , O gate ; cry , O city ; thou art melted away , O Philistia , all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north , and there is no straggler in his ranks . 32What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation ? That Jehovah hath founded Zion , and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge .