The Book of the Prophet Isaiah

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

For the Lord wil haue compassion of Iaakob, and wil yet chuse Israel, and cause them to rest in their owne lande: and the stranger shall ioyne him selfe vnto them, and they shall cleaue to the house of Iaakob.

And the people shall receiue them and bring them to their owne place, and the house of Israel shall possesse them in the land of the Lord, for seruants and handmaids: and they shall take them prisoners, whose captiues they were, and haue rule ouer their oppressours.

The Fall of the King of Babylon

And in that day when the Lord shall giue thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy feare, and from the sore bodage, wherein thou didest serue,

Then shalt thou take vp this prouerbe against the King of Babel, and say, Howe hath the oppressor ceased? and the gold thirsty Babel rested?

The Lord hath broken the rodde of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers:

Which smote the people in anger with a continuall plague, and ruled the nations in wrath: if any were persecuted, he did not let.

The whole worlde is at rest and is quiet: they sing for ioye.

Also the firre trees reioyced of thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid downe, no hewer came vp against vs.

Hel beneath is mooued for thee to meete thee at thy comming, raising vp the deade for thee, euen all the princes of the earth, and hath raised from their thrones all the Kinges of the nations.

All they shall crie, and saie vnto thee, Art thou become weake also as we? art thou become like vnto vs?

Thy pompe is brought downe to ye graue, and the sounde of thy violes: the worme is spred vnder thee, and the wormes couer thee.

How art thou fallen from heauen, O Lucifer, sonne of the morning? and cutte downe to the grounde, which didest cast lottes vpon the nations?

Yet thou saidest in thine heart, I will ascende into heauen, and exalt my throne aboue beside the starres of God: I will sitte also vpon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North.

I wil ascend aboue ye height of the cloudes, and I will be like the most high.

But thou shalt bee brought downe to the graue, to the sides of the pit.

They that see thee, shall looke vpon thee and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, and that did shake the kingdomes?

He made the worlde as a wildernesse, and destroied the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners.

All the Kings of the nations, euen they all sleepe in glorie, euery one in his owne house.

But thou art cast out of thy graue like an abominable branch: like the raiment of those that are slaine, and thrust thorowe with a sword, which goe downe to the stones of the pit, as a carkeise troden vnder feete.

Thou shalt not be ioyned with them in the graue, because thou hast destroied thine owne lande, and slaine thy people: the seede of the wicked shall not be renoumed for euer.

Prepare a slaughter for his children, for the iniquitie of their fathers: let them not rise vp nor possesse the land, nor fil the face of the world with enemies.

For I wil rise vp against them (sayth the Lord of hostes) and will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant and the sonne, and the nephew, sayth the Lord:

And I wil make it a possession to ye hedgehogge, and pooles of water, and I will sweepe it with the besome of destruction, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

God’s Purpose against Assyria

The Lord of hostes hath sworne, saying, Surely like as I haue purposed, so shall it come to passe, and as I haue consulted, it shall stand:

That I will breake to pieces Asshur in my land, and vpon my mountaines will I treade him vnder foote: so that his yoke shall depart from them, and his burden shall be taken from off their shoulder.

This is the counsell that is consulted vpon the whole worlde, and this is the hande stretched out ouer all the nations,

Because the Lord of hostes hath determined it, and who shall disanull it? and his hande is stretched out, and who shall turne it away?

Philistia Will Be Destroyed

In the yeere that King Ahaz died, was this burden.

Reioyce not, (thou whole Palestina) because the rod of him that did beat thee, is broken for out of the serpents roote shall come forth a cockatrise, and the fruit therof shalbe a firy flying serpent.

For the first borne of the poore shall be fed, and the needie shall lie downe in safetie: and I will kill thy roote with famine, and it shall slay thy remnant.

Howle, O gate, crie, O citie: thou whole lande of Palestina art dissolued, for there shall come from the North a smoke, and none shalbe alone, at his time appointed.

What shall then one answere the messengers of the Gentiles? That the Lord hath stablished Zion, and the poore of his people shall trust in it.

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.