The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

Her time is near at hand, and her days shall not be prolonged. For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose out of Israel, and will make them rest upon their own ground: and the stranger shall be joined with them, and shall adhere to the house of Jacob.

And the people shall take them, and bring them into their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall make them captives that had taken them, and shall subdue their oppressors.

The Fall of the King of Babylon

And it shall come to pass in that day, that when God shall give thee rest from thy labour, and from thy vexation, and from the hard bondage, wherewith thou didst serve before,

Thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and shalt say: How is the oppressor come to nothing, the tribute hath ceased?

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers,

That struck the people in wrath with an incurable wound, that brought nations under in fury, that persecuted in a cruel manner.

The whole earth is quiet and still, it is glad and hath rejoiced.

The fir trees also have rejoiced over thee, and the cedars of Libanus, saying: Since thou hast slept, there hath none come up to cut us down.

Hell below was in an uproar to meet thee at thy coming, it stirred up the giants for thee. All the princes of the earth are risen up from their thrones, all the princes of nations.

All shall answer, and say to thee: Thou also art wounded as well as we, thou art become like unto us.

Thy pride is brought down to hell, thy carcass is fallen down: under thee shall the moth be strewed, and worms shall be thy covering.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? how art thou fallen to the earth, that didst wound the nations?

And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north.

I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most High.

But yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, into the depth of the pit.

They that shall see thee, shall turn toward thee, and behold thee. Is this the man that troubled the earth, that shook kingdoms,

That made the world a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the prison to his prisoners?

All the kings of the nations have all of them slept in glory, every one in his own house.

But thou art cast out of thy grave, as an unprofitable branch defiled, and wrapped up among them that were slain by the sword, and art gone down to the bottom of the pit, as a rotten carcass.

Thou shalt not keep company with them, even in burial: for thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people: the seed of the wicked shall not be named for ever.

Prepare his children for slaughter for the iniquity of their fathers: they shall not rise up, nor inherit the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

And I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will destroy the name of Babylon, and the remains, and the bud, and the offspring, saith the Lord.

And I will make it a possession for the ericius and pools of waters, and I will sweep it and wear it out with a besom, saith the Lord of hosts.

God’s Purpose against Assyria

The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying: Surely as I have thought, so shall it be: and as I have purposed,

So shall it fall out: That I will destroy the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: and his yoke shall be taken away from them, and his burden shall be taken off their shoulder.

This is the counsel, that I have purposed upon all the earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations.

For the Lord of hosts hath decreed, and who can disannul it? and his hand is stretched out: and who shall turn it away?

Philistia Will Be Destroyed

In the year that king Achaz died, was this burden:

Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, that the rod of him that struck thee is broken in pieces: for out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his seed shall swallow the bird.

And the firstborn of the poor shall be fed, and the poor shall rest with confidence: and I will make thy root perish with famine, and I will kill thy remnant.

Howl, O gate; cry, O city: all Philistia is thrown down: for a smoke shall come from the north, and there is none that shall escape his troop.

And what shall be answered to the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Sion, and the poor of his people shall hope in him.

For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.

The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’s land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

The Fall of the King of Babylon

It will happen in the day that the LORD will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,

that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!”

The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,

who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that no one restrained.

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out in song.

Yes, the cypress trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, “Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us.”

Sheol

(a)

from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the departed spirits for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

They all will answer and ask you, “Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?”

Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,(b) with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you.

How you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!

You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!”

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,(c) to the depths of the pit.

Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms,

who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities, who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?”

All the kings of the nations sleep in glory, everyone in his own house.

But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot.

You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The offspring of evildoers will not be named forever.

Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

“I will rise up against them,” says the LORD of Armies, “and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son’s son,” says the LORD.

“I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the LORD of Armies.

God’s Purpose against Assyria

The LORD of Armies has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.

This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

For the LORD of Armies has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

Philistia Will Be Destroyed

This burden was in the year that King Ahaz died.

Don’t rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.

The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.

Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.

Footnotes

(a)14:9 Sheol is the place of the dead.

(b)14:11 Sheol is the place of the dead.