Mercy on Jacob
1 For theLordwill have mercy on Jacob, andwill 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 Then people will take themand bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of theLord; they will take them captive whose captives they were,and rule over their oppressors.
Fall of the King of Babylon
3 It shall come to pass in the day theLordgives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,
4 that youwill take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
# Thegolden city ceased!
5 TheLordhas brokenthe staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers;
6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger,
Is persecutedandno one hinders.
7 The whole earth is at restandquiet;
They break forth into singing.
8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
Andthe cedars of Lebanon,
Saying,‘Since you were cut down,
No woodsman has come up against us.’
9 “Hellfrom beneath is excited about you,
To meetyouat 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 They all shallspeak and say to you:
‘Have you also become as weak as we?
Have you become like us?
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
Andthe sound of your stringed instruments;
The maggot is spread under you,
And worms cover you.’
The Fall of Lucifer
12 “Howyou are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
Howyou are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 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 themount of the congregation
# On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
# I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet youshall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,
Andconsider you,saying:
‘Isthis the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Whodid not open the house of his prisoners?’
18 “All the kings of the nations,
All of them, sleep in glory,
Everyone in his own house;
19 But you are cast out of your grave
Like an abominable branch,
Likethe 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 You will not be joined with them in burial,
Because you have destroyed your land
Andslain your people.
# The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
21 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 “For I will rise up against them,” says theLordof hosts,
# “And cut off from Babylonthe name andremnant,
# And offspring and posterity,” says theLord.
23 “I will also make it a possession for theporcupine,
And marshes of muddy water;
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says theLordof hosts.
Assyria Destroyed
24 TheLordof hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
# And as I have purposed,soit shallstand:
25 That I will break theAssyrian in My land,
And on My mountains tread him underfoot.
# Thenhis yoke shall be removed from them,
And his burden removed from their shoulders.
26 Thisisthepurpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And thisisthe hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For theLordof hosts haspurposed,
And who will annulit?
His handisstretched out,
And who will turn it back?”
Philistia Destroyed
28 This is the burden which came in the year thatKing Ahaz died.
29 “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 offspringwillbea fiery flying serpent.
30 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 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city!
All you of Philistiaaredissolved;
For smoke will come from the north,
And no onewillbealone in his appointed times.”
32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation?
# ThattheLordhas founded Zion,
# Andthe poor of His people shall take refuge in it.