Mercy on Jacob

1For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cling to the house of Jacob.

2And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and 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 the LORD shall give you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage in which you were made to serve.

Against the King of Babylon

4That you shall take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers.

6He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hinders.

7The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

8Yea, the cypress trees rejoice at you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you were laid low, no hewer has come up against us.

9Sheol from beneath is excited for you to meet you at your coming: it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10They all shall speak and say unto you, have you also become weak as we? have you become like unto us?

11Your pomp is brought down to the grave, and the sound of your harps: the maggot is spread under you, and the worms cover you.

The Fall of Lucifer

12How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, who did weaken the nations!

13For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the farthest sides of the north:

14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15Yet you shall be brought down to sheol, to the sides of the pit.

16They that see you shall gaze upon you, and consider you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

17That made the world like a wilderness, and destroyed its cities; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

18All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own tomb.

19But you are cast out of your sepulcher like an abominable branch, and as the garment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a corpse trodden underfoot.

20You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, and slain your people: the descendants of evildoers shall never be renowned.

21Prepare slaughter for his children because of the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

Babylon Destroyed

22For I will rise up against them, says the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, says the LORD.

23I will also make it a possession for the owls, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of hosts.

Assyria Broken

24The LORD of hosts has 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 shoulders.

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 the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Philistia Destroyed

28In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

29Rejoice not, all of Philistia, because the rod of him that struck you 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 firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill your root with famine, and he shall slay your remnant.

31Wail, O gate; cry, O city; you, all of Philistia, are dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

32What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.