Israel’s Taunt against Babylon

1When the LORD has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel, and settles them on their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will make them their own possession in the land of the LORD as male and female servants; and [a]they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.

3And it will be on the day when the LORD gives you rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh service in which you have been enslaved, 4that you will take up this [b]taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,

“How the oppressor has ceased,

And how the [c]onslaught has ceased!

5“The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,

The scepter of rulers,

6Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,

Which [d]subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.

7“The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;

They break forth into shouts of joy.

8“Even the juniper trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,

‘Since you have been laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’

9“Sheol below is excited about you, to meet you when you come;

It stirs the [e]spirits of the dead for you, all the [f]leaders of the earth;

It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

10“They will all respond and say to you,

‘Even you have become weak as we,

You have become like us.

11‘Your pride 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 fallen from heaven,

You [g]star of the morning, son of the dawn!

You have been cut down to the earth,

You who defeated the nations!

13“But you said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise 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;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

15“Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,

To the recesses of the pit.

16“Those who see you will stare at you,

They will [h]closely examine you, saying,

‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

Who shook kingdoms,

17Who made the world like a wilderness

And overthrew its cities,

Who did not [i]allow his prisoners to go home?’

18“All the kings of the nations lie in glory,

Each in his own [j]tomb.

19“But you have been hurled out of your tomb

Like [k]a rejected branch,

[l]Clothed with those killed who have been pierced with a sword,

Who go down to the stones of the pit

Like a trampled corpse.

20“You will not be united with them in burial,

Because you have ruined your country,

You have killed your people.

May the descendants of evildoers never be mentioned.

21“Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons

Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers.

They must not arise and take possession of the earth,

And fill the surface of the world with cities.” 22“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of armies, “and eliminate from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and descendants,” declares the LORD. 23“I will also make it the property of the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of armies.

Judgment on Assyria