Font Size
Isaiah 14
New English Translation
Isaiah 14
New English Translation
14 The Lord will certainly have compassion on Jacob;[a] he will again choose Israel as his special people[b] and restore[c] them to their land. Resident foreigners will join them and unite with the family[d] of Jacob. 2 Nations will take them and bring them back to their own place. Then the family of Israel will make foreigners their servants as they settle in the Lord’s land.[e] They will make their captors captives and rule over the ones who oppressed them. 3 When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety[f] and from the hard labor that you were made to perform, 4 you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words:[g]
“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility[h] has ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
6 It[i] furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows.[j]
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint.[k]
7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise,[l]
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing,[m]
‘Since you fell asleep,[n]
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’[o]
9 Sheol[p] below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses[q] the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth;[r]
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones.[s]
10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
11 Your splendor[t] has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments.[u]
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you.[v]
12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn![w]
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror[x] of the nations![y]
13 You said to yourself,[z]
‘I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El[aa]
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon.[ab]
14 I will climb up to the tops[ac] of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!’[ad]
15 But you were brought down[ae] to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the Pit.[af]
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking:[ag]
‘Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
17 Is this the one who made the world like a wilderness,
who ruined its[ah] cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?’[ai]
18 [aj] As for all the kings of the nations,
all of them[ak] lie down in splendor,[al]
each in his own tomb.[am]
19 But you have been thrown out of your grave
like a shoot that is thrown away.[an]
You lie among[ao] the slain,
among those who have been slashed by the sword,
among those headed for[ap] the stones of the Pit,[aq]
as if you were a mangled corpse.[ar]
20 You will not be buried with them,[as]
because you destroyed your land
and killed your people.
The offspring of the wicked
will never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare to execute[at] his sons
for the sins their ancestors have committed.[au]
They must not rise up and take possession of the earth,
or fill the surface of the world with cities.[av]
22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people,[aw]
including the offspring she produces,”[ax]
says the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals[ay]
and covered with pools of stagnant water.
I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,”[az]
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
24 [ba] The Lord of Heaven’s Armies makes this solemn vow:
“Be sure of this:
Just as I have intended, so it will be;
just as I have planned, it will happen.
25 I will break Assyria[bb] in my land,
I will trample them[bc] underfoot on my hills.
Their yoke will be removed from my people,
the burden will be lifted from their shoulders.[bd]
26 This is the plan I have devised for the whole earth;
my hand is ready to strike all the nations.”[be]
27 Indeed,[bf] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a plan,
and who can possibly frustrate it?
His hand is ready to strike,
and who can possibly stop it?[bg]
The Lord Will Judge the Philistines
28 This oracle[bh] came in the year that King Ahaz died:[bi]
29 Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines,
just because the club that beat you has been broken![bj]
For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root,
and its fruit will be a darting adder.[bk]
30 The poor will graze in my pastures;[bl]
the needy will rest securely.
But I will kill your root by famine;
it will put to death all your survivors.[bm]
31 Wail, O city gate!
Cry out, O city!
Melt with fear,[bn] all you Philistines!
For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke,
and there are no stragglers in its ranks.[bo]
32 How will they respond to the messengers of this nation?[bp]
Indeed, the Lord has made Zion secure;
the oppressed among his people will find safety in her.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 14:1 tn The sentence begins with כִּי (ki), which is understood as asseverative (“certainly”) in the translation. Another option is to translate, “For the Lord will have compassion.” In this case one of the reasons for Babylon’s coming demise (13:22b) is the Lord’s desire to restore his people.
- Isaiah 14:1 tn The words “as his special people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Isaiah 14:1 tn Or “settle” (NASB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
- Isaiah 14:1 tn Heb “house.”
- Isaiah 14:2 tn Heb “and the house of Israel will take possession of them [i.e., the nations], on the land of the Lord, as male servants and female servants.”
- Isaiah 14:3 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
- Isaiah 14:4 tn Heb “you will lift up this taunt over the king of Babylon, saying.”
- Isaiah 14:4 tc The word in the Hebrew text (מַדְהֵבָה, madhevah) is unattested elsewhere and of uncertain meaning. Many (following the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa) assume a confusion of dalet and resh (ד and ר) and emend the form to מַרְהֵבָה (marhevah, “onslaught”). See HALOT 548 s.v. II *מִדָּה and HALOT 633 s.v. *מַרְהֵבָה.
- Isaiah 14:6 tn Or perhaps, “he” (cf. KJV; NCV “the king of Babylon”). The present translation understands the referent of the pronoun (“it”) to be the “club/scepter” of the preceding line.
- Isaiah 14:6 tn Heb “it was striking down nations in fury [with] a blow without ceasing.” The participle (“striking down”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
- Isaiah 14:6 tn Heb “it was ruling in anger nations [with] oppression without restraint.” The participle (“ruling”) suggests repeated or continuous action in past time.
- Isaiah 14:8 tn Heb “concerning you.”
- Isaiah 14:8 tn The word “singing” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Note that the personified trees speak in the second half of the verse.
- Isaiah 14:8 tn Heb “lay down” (in death); cf. NAB “laid to rest.”
- Isaiah 14:8 tn Heb “the [wood]cutter does not come up against us.”
- Isaiah 14:9 sn Sheol is the proper name of the subterranean world which was regarded as the land of the dead.
- Isaiah 14:9 tn Heb “arousing.” The form is probably a Polel infinitive absolute, rather than a third masculine singular perfect, for Sheol is grammatically feminine (note “stirred up”). See GKC 466 §145.t.
- Isaiah 14:9 tn Heb “all the rams of the earth.” The animal epithet is used metaphorically here for leaders. See HALOT 903 s.v. *עַתּוּד.
- Isaiah 14:9 tn Heb “lifting from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” הֵקִים (heqim, a Hiphil perfect third masculine singular) should be emended to an infinitive absolute (הָקֵים, haqem). See the note on “rouses” earlier in the verse.
- Isaiah 14:11 tn Or “pride” (NCV, CEV); KJV, NIV, NRSV “pomp.”
- Isaiah 14:11 tn Or “harps” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 14:11 tn Heb “under you maggots are spread out, and worms are your cover.”
- Isaiah 14:12 tn The Hebrew text has הֵילֵל בֶּן־שָׁחַר (helel ben shakhar, “Helel son of Shachar”), which is probably a name for the morning star (Venus) or the crescent moon. See HALOT 245 s.v. הֵילֵל. sn What is the background for the imagery in vv. 12-15? This whole section (vv. 4b-21) is directed to the king of Babylon, who is clearly depicted as a human ruler. Other kings of the earth address him in vv. 9ff., he is called “the man” in v. 16, and, according to vv. 19-20, he possesses a physical body. Nevertheless the language of vv. 12-15 has led some to see a dual referent in the taunt song. These verses, which appear to be spoken by other pagan kings to a pagan king (cf. vv. 9-11), contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including references to Helel son of Shachar, the stars of El, the mountain of assembly, the recesses of Zaphon, and the divine title Most High. Apparently these verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed, and he was hurled down to the underworld. The king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. Some Christians have seen an allusion to the fall of Satan here, but this seems contextually unwarranted (see J. Martin, “Isaiah,” BKCOT, 1061).
- Isaiah 14:12 tn Some understand the verb חָלַשׁ (khalash) to mean “weaken,” but HALOT 324 s.v. II חלשׁ proposes a homonym here meaning “defeat.”
- Isaiah 14:12 sn In this line the taunting kings hint at the literal identity of the king, after likening him to the god Helel and a tree. The verb גָדַע (gadaʿ, “cut down”) is used of chopping down trees in 9:10 and 10:33.
- Isaiah 14:13 tn Heb “you, you said in your heart.”
- Isaiah 14:13 sn In Canaanite mythology the stars of El were astral deities under the authority of the high god El.
- Isaiah 14:13 sn Zaphon, the Canaanite version of Olympus, was the “mountain of assembly” where the gods met.
- Isaiah 14:14 tn Heb “the high places.” This word often refers to the high places where pagan worship was conducted, but here it probably refers to the “backs” or tops of the clouds. See HALOT 136 s.v. בָּמָה.
- Isaiah 14:14 sn Normally in the OT the title “Most High” belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El.
- Isaiah 14:15 tn The prefixed verb form is taken as a preterite. Note the use of perfects in v. 12 to describe the king’s downfall.
- Isaiah 14:15 tn The Hebrew term בּוּר (bor, “cistern”) is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to the place of the dead or the entrance to the underworld.
- Isaiah 14:16 tn The word “thinking” is supplied in the translation in order to make it clear that the next line records their thoughts as they gaze at him.
- Isaiah 14:17 tc The pronominal suffix is masculine, even though its antecedent appears to be the grammatically feminine noun “world.” Some have suggested that the form עָרָיו (ʿarayv, plural noun with third masculine singular suffix) should be emended to עָרֶיהָ (ʿareha, plural noun with third feminine singular suffix). This emendation may be unnecessary in light of other examples of lack of agreement between a suffix and its antecedent noun.
- Isaiah 14:17 tn Heb “and his prisoners did not let loose to [their] homes.” This really means, “he did not let loose his prisoners and send them back to their homes.” On the elliptical style, see GKC 366 §117.o.
- Isaiah 14:18 sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact, the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.
- Isaiah 14:18 tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa.
- Isaiah 14:18 sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.
- Isaiah 14:18 tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.
- Isaiah 14:19 tn Heb “like a shoot that is abhorred.” The simile seems a bit odd; apparently it refers to a small shoot that is trimmed from a plant and tossed away. Some prefer to emend נֵצֶר (netser, “shoot”); some propose נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”). In this case one might paraphrase: “like a horrible-looking fetus that is delivered when a woman miscarries.”
- Isaiah 14:19 tn Heb “are clothed with.”
- Isaiah 14:19 tn Heb “those going down to.”
- Isaiah 14:19 tn בּוֹר (bor) literally means “cistern”; cisterns were constructed from stones. On the metaphorical use of “cistern” for the underworld, see the note at v. 15.
- Isaiah 14:19 tn Heb “like a trampled corpse.” Some take this line with what follows.
- Isaiah 14:20 tn Heb “you will not be united with them in burial” (so NASB).
- Isaiah 14:21 tn Or “the place of slaughter for.”
- Isaiah 14:21 tn Heb “for the sin of their fathers.”
- Isaiah 14:21 sn J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [NICOT], 1:320, n. 10) suggests that the garrison cities of the mighty empire are in view here.
- Isaiah 14:22 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
- Isaiah 14:22 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
- Isaiah 14:23 tn Heb “I will make her into a possession of wild animals.” It is uncertain what type of animal קִפֹּד (qippod) refers to. Some suggest a rodent (cf. NASB, NRSV “hedgehog”), others, an owl (cf, NAB, NIV, TEV).
- Isaiah 14:23 tn Heb “I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.”
- Isaiah 14:24 sn Having announced the downfall of the Chaldean empire, the Lord appends to this prophecy a solemn reminder that the Assyrians, the major Mesopotamian power of Isaiah’s day, would be annihilated, foreshadowing what would subsequently happen to Babylon and the other hostile nations.
- Isaiah 14:25 tn Heb “to break Assyria.”
- Isaiah 14:25 tn Heb “him.” This is a collective singular referring to the nation, or a reference to the king of Assyria, who by metonymy stands for the entire nation.
- Isaiah 14:25 tn Heb “and his [i.e., Assyria’s] yoke will be removed from them [the people?], and his [Assyria’s] burden from his [the nation’s?] shoulder will be removed.” There are no antecedents in this oracle for the suffixes in the phrases “from them” and “from his shoulder.” Since the Lord’s land and hills are referred to in the preceding line and the statement seems to echo 10:27, it is likely that God’s people are the referents of the suffixes; the translation uses “my people” to indicate this.
- Isaiah 14:26 tn Heb “and this is the hand that is outstretched over all the nations.”
- Isaiah 14:27 tn Or “For” (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 14:27 tn Heb “His hand is outstretched, and who will turn it back?”
- Isaiah 14:28 tn See note at Isa 13:1.
- Isaiah 14:28 sn Perhaps 715 b.c., but the precise date is uncertain.
- Isaiah 14:29 sn The identity of this “club” (also referred to as a “serpent” in the next line) is uncertain. It may refer to an Assyrian king, or to Ahaz. For discussion see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:331-32. The viper/adder referred to in the second half of the verse is his successor.
- Isaiah 14:29 tn Heb “flying burning one.” The designation “burning one” may allude to the serpent’s appearance or the effect of its poisonous bite. (See the note at 6:2.) The qualifier “flying” probably refers to the serpent’s quick, darting movements, though one might propose a homonym here, meaning “biting.” (See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:332, n. 18.) Some might think in terms of a mythological flying, fire-breathing dragon (cf. NAB “a flying saraph”; CEV “a flying fiery dragon”), but this proposal does not make good sense in 30:6, where the phrase “flying burning one” appears again in a list of desert animals.
- Isaiah 14:30 tc The Hebrew text has, “the firstborn of the poor will graze.” “Firstborn” may be used here in an idiomatic sense to indicate the very poorest of the poor. See BDB 114 s.v. בְּכוֹר. The translation above assumes an emendation of בְּכוֹרֵי (bekhore, “firstborn of”) to בְּכָרַי (bekharay, “in my pastures”).
- Isaiah 14:30 tn Heb “your remnant” (so NAB, NRSV).
- Isaiah 14:31 tn Or “despair” (see HALOT 555 s.v. מוג). The form נָמוֹג (namog) should be taken here as an infinitive absolute functioning as an imperative. See GKC 199-200 §72.v.
- Isaiah 14:31 tn Heb “and there is no one going alone in his appointed places.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. בּוֹדֵד (boded) appears to be a participle from בָּדַד (badad, “be separate”; see BDB 94 s.v. בָּדַד). מוֹעָד (moʿad) may mean “assembly” or, by extension, “multitude” (see HALOT 558 s.v. *מוֹעָד), but the referent of the third masculine pronominal suffix attached to the noun is unclear. It probably refers to the “nation” mentioned in the next line.
- Isaiah 14:32 sn The question forces the Philistines to consider the dilemma they will face—surrender and oppression, or battle and death.
Isaías 14
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Isaías 14
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Canto triunfal
14 Cuando el Señor tenga compasión de Jacob(A), y escoja de nuevo a Israel(B) y los establezca en su propia tierra, entonces se les juntarán extranjeros[a](C) que se unirán a la casa de Jacob. 2 Los pueblos los tomaran y los llevarán a su lugar, y la casa de Israel los poseerá como siervos y siervas(D) en la tierra del Señor. Tomarán cautivos a los que los habían llevado cautivos, y dominarán sobre sus opresores.
3 Y[b] el día en que el Señor te dé descanso de tu dolor, de tu desesperación y de la dura servidumbre a la que fuiste sometido(E), 4 pronunciarás[c] esta burla[d] contra el rey de Babilonia, y dirás(F):
«¡Cómo se ha acabado el opresor,
Y cómo ha cesado el furor[e](G)!
5 -»El Señor ha quebrado el báculo de los impíos,
El cetro de los gobernantes
6 Que golpeaba con furia a los pueblos con golpes incesantes,
Que sometía[f] con ira a las naciones en incesante persecución(H).
7 -»Toda la tierra está en reposo, está tranquila.
Prorrumpe en gritos de júbilo(I).
8 -»Aun los cipreses y los cedros del Líbano(J) se alegran a causa de ti, y dicen:
“Desde que fuiste derribado, no ha subido talador contra nosotros”.
9 -»El Seol[g](K), desde abajo, se estremece por ti al recibirte en tu venida;
Por ti despierta a los espíritus de los muertos[h], a todos los jefes[i] de la tierra;
Levanta de sus tronos a todos los reyes de las naciones.
10 -»Todos ellos responderán y te dirán:
“También tú has sido debilitado como nosotros,
Has venido a ser semejante a nosotros(L).
11 -”Han sido derribadas al Seol(M)
Tu ostentación y la música de tus arpas.
Debajo de ti las larvas se extienden como cama,
Y los gusanos son tu cobertura”.
12 -»¡Cómo has caído del cielo(N),
Oh lucero de la mañana[j](O), hijo de la aurora!
Has sido derribado por tierra,
Tú que debilitabas a las naciones.
13 -»Pero tú dijiste en tu corazón:
“Subiré al cielo(P),
Por encima de las estrellas de Dios levantaré mi trono(Q),
Y me sentaré en el monte de la asamblea,
En el extremo norte.
14 -”Subiré sobre las alturas de las nubes,
Me haré semejante al Altísimo(R)”.
15 -»Sin embargo, serás derribado al Seol(S),
A lo más remoto del abismo.
16 -»Los que te vean te observarán,
Te contemplarán y dirán:
“¿Es este aquel hombre que hacía temblar la tierra,
Que sacudía los reinos,
17 Que puso al mundo como un desierto(T),
Que derribó sus ciudades,
Que a sus prisioneros no abrió la cárcel[k](U)?”.
18 -»Todos los reyes de las naciones,
Todos ellos yacen con gloria,
Cada uno en su sepulcro[l].
19 -»Pero tú has sido echado de tu sepulcro(V)
Como vástago desechado[m],
Como ropa de muertos[n] traspasados a espada,
Que descienden a las piedras de la fosa(W),
Como cadáver pisoteado(X).
20 -»No estarás unido con ellos en el sepelio,
Porque has destruido tu tierra,
Has matado a tu pueblo.
Que no se nombre jamás la descendencia[o] de los malhechores(Y).
21 -»Preparen para sus hijos el matadero
A causa de la iniquidad de sus padres(Z).
Que no se levanten y tomen posesión de la tierra,
Y llenen de ciudades la faz del mundo».
22 «Yo me levantaré contra ellos», declara el Señor de los ejércitos, «y cortaré de Babilonia nombre y sobrevivientes(AA), descendencia y posteridad(AB)», declara el Señor. 23 «La convertiré en posesión de erizos(AC) y en aguas estancadas, y la barreré con la escoba de la destrucción(AD)», declara el Señor de los ejércitos.
Profecía sobre Asiria y Filistea
24 El Señor de los ejércitos ha jurado: «Ciertamente, tal como lo había pensado, así ha sucedido; tal como lo había planeado, así se cumplirá(AE): 25 Quebrantaré a Asiria en Mi tierra(AF), y la pisotearé sobre Mis montes. Entonces su yugo se les quitará de encima, y su carga será quitada de sus hombros(AG). 26 Este es el plan acordado[p] contra toda la tierra(AH), y esta es la mano que está extendida contra todas las naciones(AI).
27 »Si el Señor de los ejércitos lo ha determinado, ¿quién puede frustrarlo? Y en cuanto a Su mano extendida, ¿quién podrá apartarla(AJ)?». 28 El año en que murió el rey Acaz(AK), vino este oráculo[q](AL):
29 «No te alegres, toda tú, Filistea(AM),
De que la vara que te hirió esté quebrada(AN);
Pues de la raíz de la serpiente saldrá una víbora(AO),
Y su fruto será serpiente voladora(AP).
30 -»Los más débiles[r] comerán[s](AQ),
Y los necesitados se acostarán seguros.
Pero haré morir de hambre tu raíz(AR),
Y esta matará tus sobrevivientes.
31 -»Gime, puerta; clama, ciudad(AS);
Derrítete[t], toda tú, Filistea(AT).
Porque del norte viene humo(AU),
Y nadie de sus filas se queda atrás(AV).
32 -»¿Cómo, pues, se responderá a los mensajeros de la nación(AW)?:
Que el Señor ha fundado a Sión(AX),
Y en ella buscarán refugio los afligidos de Su pueblo(AY)».
Footnotes
- 14:1 O peregrinos.
- 14:3 Lit. Y sucederá que.
- 14:4 Lit. levantarás.
- 14:4 O este proverbio.
- 14:4 Heb. madhebah, I.e. comerciante en oro; enmendado a, marhebah; i.e. furor.
- 14:6 O gobernaba.
- 14:9 I.e. región de los muertos.
- 14:9 O a las sombras; heb. refaím.
- 14:9 Lit. machos cabríos.
- 14:12 Heb. Helel; i.e. el reluciente.
- 14:17 Lit. casa.
- 14:18 Lit. casa.
- 14:19 Lit. aborrecido.
- 14:19 O como las vestiduras de los que han sido muertos.
- 14:20 Lit. simiente.
- 14:26 Lit. planeado.
- 14:28 O carga, o esta profecía.
- 14:30 Lit. los primogénitos de los débiles.
- 14:30 Lit. pastarán.
- 14:31 O Desanímate.
Isaiah 14
New International Version
Isaiah 14
New International Version
14 The Lord will have compassion(A) on Jacob;
once again he will choose(B) Israel
and will settle them in their own land.(C)
Foreigners(D) will join them
and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
and bring(E) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations(F)
and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives(G) of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.(H)
3 On the day the Lord gives you relief(I) from your suffering and turmoil(J) and from the harsh labor forced on you,(K) 4 you will take up this taunt(L) against the king of Babylon:(M)
How the oppressor(N) has come to an end!
How his fury[a] has ended!
5 The Lord has broken the rod(O) of the wicked,(P)
the scepter(Q) of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples(R)
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued(S) nations
with relentless aggression.(T)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;(U)
they break into singing.(V)
8 Even the junipers(W) and the cedars of Lebanon
gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”(X)
9 The realm of the dead(Y) below is all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed(Z) to greet you—
all those who were leaders(AA) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.(AB)
10 They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”(AC)
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,(AD)
along with the noise of your harps;(AE)
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms(AF) cover you.(AG)
12 How you have fallen(AH) from heaven,
morning star,(AI) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!(AJ)
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend(AK) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne(AL)
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,(AM)
on the utmost heights(AN) of Mount Zaphon.[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;(AO)
I will make myself like the Most High.”(AP)
15 But you are brought down(AQ) to the realm of the dead,(AR)
to the depths(AS) of the pit.(AT)
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:(AU)
“Is this the man who shook(AV) the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,(AW)
who overthrew(AX) its cities
and would not let his captives go home?”(AY)
18 All the kings of the nations lie in state,
each in his own tomb.(AZ)
19 But you are cast out(BA) of your tomb
like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,(BB)
with those pierced by the sword,(BC)
those who descend to the stones of the pit.(BD)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20 you will not join them in burial,(BE)
for you have destroyed your land
and killed your people.
Let the offspring(BF) of the wicked(BG)
never be mentioned(BH) again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children(BI)
for the sins of their ancestors;(BJ)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
and cover the earth with their cities.
22 “I will rise up(BK) against them,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name(BL) and survivors,
her offspring and descendants,(BM)”
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls(BN)
and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,(BO)”
declares the Lord Almighty.(BP)
24 The Lord Almighty has sworn,(BQ)
“Surely, as I have planned,(BR) so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will happen.(BS)
25 I will crush the Assyrian(BT) in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke(BU) will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.(BV)”
26 This is the plan(BW) determined for the whole world;
this is the hand(BX) stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed,(BY) and who can thwart him?
His hand(BZ) is stretched out, and who can turn it back?(CA)
A Prophecy Against the Philistines
28 This prophecy(CB) came in the year(CC) King Ahaz(CD) died:
29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,(CE)
that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,(CF)
its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.(CG)
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
and the needy(CH) will lie down in safety.(CI)
But your root I will destroy by famine;(CJ)
it will slay(CK) your survivors.(CL)
31 Wail,(CM) you gate!(CN) Howl, you city!
Melt away, all you Philistines!(CO)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,(CP)
and there is not a straggler in its ranks.(CQ)
32 What answer shall be given
to the envoys(CR) of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,(CS)
and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.(CT)”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
Isaiah 14
New King James Version
Isaiah 14
New King James Version
Mercy on Jacob
14 For the Lord (A)will have mercy on Jacob, and (B)will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. (C)The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. 2 Then people will take them (D)and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, (E)and rule over their oppressors.
Fall of the King of Babylon
3 It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you (F)will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
The (G)golden[a] city ceased!
5 The Lord has broken (H)the 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 persecuted and no one hinders.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
They break forth into singing.
8 (I)Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
And the cedars of Lebanon,
Saying, ‘Since you [b]were cut down,
No woodsman has come up against us.’
9 “Hell(J)[c] from beneath is excited about you,
To meet you at 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 shall (K)speak 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,
And the sound of your stringed instruments;
The maggot is spread under you,
And worms cover you.’
The Fall of Lucifer
12 “How(L) you are fallen from heaven,
O [d]Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
(M)‘I will ascend into heaven,
(N)I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the (O)mount of the congregation
(P)On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
(Q)I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you (R)shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the [e]lowest depths of the Pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who [f]did 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 [g]abominable branch,
Like the garment of those who are slain,
[h]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
And slain your people.
(S)The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children
(T)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 the Lord of hosts,
“And cut off from Babylon (U)the name and (V)remnant,
(W)And offspring and posterity,” says the Lord.
23 “I will also make it a possession for the (X)porcupine,
And marshes of muddy water;
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.
Assyria Destroyed
24 The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall (Y)stand:
25 That I will break the (Z)Assyrian in My land,
And on My mountains tread him underfoot.
Then (AA)his yoke shall be removed from them,
And his burden removed from their shoulders.
26 This is the (AB)purpose that is purposed against the whole earth,
And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27 For the Lord of hosts has (AC)purposed,
And who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
And who will turn it back?”
Philistia Destroyed
28 This is the [i]burden which came in the year that (AD)King Ahaz died.
29 “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia,
(AE)Because the rod that struck you is broken;
For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper,
(AF)And its offspring will be a 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 Philistia are dissolved;
For smoke will come from the north,
And no one will be alone in his [j]appointed times.”
32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation?
That (AG)the Lord has founded Zion,
And (AH)the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 14:4 Or insolent
- Isaiah 14:8 have lain down
- Isaiah 14:9 Or Sheol
- Isaiah 14:12 Lit. Day Star
- Isaiah 14:15 Lit. recesses
- Isaiah 14:17 Would not release
- Isaiah 14:19 despised
- Isaiah 14:19 Pierced
- Isaiah 14:28 oracle, prophecy
- Isaiah 14:31 Or ranks
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA) 
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.