Isaiah 14 – NIV & NIRV

New International Version

Isaiah 14:1-32

1The Lord will have compassion on Jacob;

once again he will choose Israel

and will settle them in their own land.

Foreigners will join them

and unite with the descendants of Jacob.

2Nations will take them

and bring them to their own place.

And Israel will take possession of the nations

and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.

They will make captives of their captors

and rule over their oppressors.

3On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has come to an end!

How his fury14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain. has ended!

5The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,

the scepter of the rulers,

6which in anger struck down peoples

with unceasing blows,

and in fury subdued nations

with relentless aggression.

7All the lands are at rest and at peace;

they break into singing.

8Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon

gloat over you and say,

“Now that you have been laid low,

no one comes to cut us down.”

9The realm of the dead below is all astir

to meet you at your coming;

it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—

all those who were leaders in the world;

it makes them rise from their thrones—

all those who were kings over the nations.

10They will all respond,

they will say to you,

“You also have become weak, as we are;

you have become like us.”

11All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,

along with the noise of your harps;

maggots are spread out beneath you

and worms cover you.

12How you have fallen from heaven,

morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!

13You said in your heart,

“I will ascend to the heavens;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.

14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.”

15But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,

to the depths of the pit.

16Those who see you stare at you,

they ponder your fate:

“Is this the man who shook the earth

and made kingdoms tremble,

17the man who made the world a wilderness,

who overthrew its cities

and would not let his captives go home?”

18All the kings of the nations lie in state,

each in his own tomb.

19But you are cast out of your tomb

like a rejected branch;

you are covered with the slain,

with those pierced by the sword,

those who descend to the stones of the pit.

Like a corpse trampled underfoot,

20you will not join them in burial,

for you have destroyed your land

and killed your people.

Let the offspring of the wicked

never be mentioned again.

21Prepare a place to slaughter his children

for the sins of their ancestors;

they are not to rise to inherit the land

and cover the earth with their cities.

22“I will rise up against them,”

declares the Lord Almighty.

“I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors,

her offspring and descendants,”

declares the Lord.

23“I will turn her into a place for owls

and into swampland;

I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,”

declares the Lord Almighty.

24The Lord Almighty has sworn,

“Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,

and as I have purposed, so it will happen.

25I will crush the Assyrian in my land;

on my mountains I will trample him down.

His yoke will be taken from my people,

and his burden removed from their shoulders.”

26This is the plan determined for the whole world;

this is the hand stretched out over all nations.

27For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?

His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

A Prophecy Against the Philistines

28This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died:

29Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,

that the rod that struck you is broken;

from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,

its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.

30The poorest of the poor will find pasture,

and the needy will lie down in safety.

But your root I will destroy by famine;

it will slay your survivors.

31Wail, you gate! Howl, you city!

Melt away, all you Philistines!

A cloud of smoke comes from the north,

and there is not a straggler in its ranks.

32What answer shall be given

to the envoys of that nation?

“The Lord has established Zion,

and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”

New International Reader’s Version

Isaiah 14:1-32

1The Lord will show tender love toward 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.

2Nations 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.

3The Lord will put an end to Israel’s suffering and trouble. They will no longer be forced to do hard labor. At that time, 4they 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!

5The Lord has taken away the authority of evil people.

He has broken the power of rulers.

6When 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.

7All the lands now enjoy peace and rest.

They break out into singing.

8Even 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.

10All of them call out to you.

They say,

‘You have become weak, just as we are.

You have become like us.’

11Your 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!

13You 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.

14I will rise above the tops of the clouds.

I’ll make myself like the Most High God.’

15But 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?

17Did 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 honor.

Each of them lies in his own tomb.

19But 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.

20You 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.

21So 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.

24The 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.

25I 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.”

26That’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.

27The 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

28This 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 serpent.

30Even 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.

32What 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.’ ”