Isaiah 14

1 For the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will have compassion [show love and mercy] on Jacob [the descendants of the patriarch]; once again He will choose [select, elect] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] and settle [give rest, establish] them in their own land [the promised territory, their ancestral home]. The foreigner [sojourner, stranger] will join [unite, attach] them and unite [cleave, adhere] with the house [family, household] of Jacob [the people of Israel]. word study 2 The nations [peoples, foreign countries] will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland [own place, promised land]. Then the house of Israel [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] will possess the nations as menservants [servants, slaves] and maidservants [female slaves, handmaids] in the LORD’s [Yehovah, the supreme God] land [earth, territory]. They will make captives [take prisoner, subdue] of their captors [oppressors, those who held them captive] and rule over [have power over, dominate] their oppressors [those who afflicted them, exacted from them]. word study 3 On the day [of divine deliverance] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] gives you rest [to settle down and remain in one place, a state of tranquility] from your pain [physical or mental sorrow] and torment [turmoil or commotion], and from the hard [severe, cruel] labor [service or work, including serving God or others] into which you were forced [to serve, implying slavery or bondage], word study 4 you will sing this song [proverb, parable] of contempt against the king [ruler, monarch] of Babylon: How the oppressor [one who harasses, exacts] has ceased [come to an end, stopped], and how his fury [anger, wrath] has ended [been quenched, calmed]! word study 5 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has broken [shattered, ceased] the staff [rod] of the wicked [morally wrong, guilty of sin], the scepter [stick, tool for punishment] of the rulers [those who have power, leaders]. word study 6 It struck [smiting, with a continual stroke] the peoples [nations, Gentiles] in anger [fury, wrath] with unceasing [relentless, without intermission] blows; it subdued [ruled, with power and control] the nations [Gentile nations, large groups of people] in rage [anger, passion] with relentless [unrestrained, without restraint] persecution [pursuit, harassment]. word study 7 All [the whole, everything] the earth [land, territory, the world] is at [in a state of, experiencing] peace [rest, quietness, stillness] and at rest [quiet, still]; they break out [burst forth, sing loudly] in song [a cry of joy, a ringing cry]. word study 8 Even the cypresses [fir trees, evergreen trees] and cedars [strong and durable trees] of Lebanon [a mountain range in Israel, known for its white snow or limestone peaks] exult [rejoice, are glad] over you: “Since you have been laid low [overthrown, no longer a ruler], no woodcutter [hewer, cutter] comes against us [does not attack or harm us].” word study 9 Sheol [the underworld, place of no return] beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival [at your coming, when you come]. It stirs [wakes, rouses] the spirits of the dead [Rephaim, shades of the dead] to greet you— all [everything, every single one] the rulers [chief ones, leaders] of the earth [land, world]. It makes all [every one, all together] the kings [royal leaders, monarchs] of the nations [Gentile nations, non-Hebrew peoples] rise from their thrones [seats of power, positions of authority]. word study 10 They will all [every single one, without exception] respond to you, saying, “You too [also, even you] have become weak [feeble, powerless, like us], as we are [in our state of frailty]; you have become like us [similar to us, in our condition]!” word study 11 Your pomp [pride, majesty, or arrogance] has been brought down [to go down, or descend] to Sheol [the underworld, hell, or grave], along with the music [sound, or noise] of your harps [stringed instruments, or viols]. Maggots [worms] are your bed [place of rest, or laying] and worms [creatures that cover, or decay] your blanket [covering, or shroud]. word study 12 How [in what manner, to what extent] you have fallen [been cast down, defeated] from heaven [the spiritual realm, the abode of God], O day star [Lucifer, morning star, light-bearer], son [offspring, descendant] of the dawn [the beginning of a new day, morning]! You have been cut down [destroyed, laid low] to the ground [the earth, the land], O destroyer [weakener, one who lays low] of nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 13 You [as a proud and self-exalted individual] said in your heart [mind, will, and emotions]: “I will ascend [go up, rise] to the heavens [the spiritual realm, the dwelling place of God]; I will raise [lift, exalt] my throne [seat of power and authority] above [higher than, surpassing] the stars of God [the celestial bodies, the heavenly host]. I will sit [dwell, abide] on the mount [hill, mountain] of assembly [meeting, congregation, the gathering place of the gods], in the far reaches [sides, flanks, remotest parts] of the north [Zaphon, the direction of darkness and chaos]. word study 14 I will ascend [go up, rise] above the tops [heights, high places] of the clouds [dark clouds, thick clouds]; I will make [compare, liken] myself [my being, my nature] like [similar to, equal to] the Most High [the supreme God, the highest authority].” word study 15 But you will be brought down [to the underworld, into the depths] to Sheol [the grave, a place of no return], to the lowest [uttermost, inmost] depths of the Pit [a cistern, a prison, the abyss]. word study 16 Those who see [gaze at, narrowly look upon] you will stare [to gaze or stare at something]; they will ponder [to understand, discern] your fate [what has happened to you]: “Is this [a specific person] the man [a male person, individual] who shook [to tremble, quake] the earth [the land, the material world] and made the kingdoms [a ruler’s power, territory] tremble [to shake, quake with fear], word study 17 who turned the world [into a wilderness, like a desert] into a desert [a barren and uninhabitable land] and destroyed [overthrew, broke down] its cities [towns, populated areas], who refused [did not allow, would not permit] to let the captives [prisoners, those bound or restrained] return to their homes [houses, dwelling places]?” word study 18 All [every single one, the entire group] the kings [rulers, monarchs] of the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] lie in state [sleep in glory, rest in honor], each [every individual, man] in his own [personal, private] tomb [house, place of rest]. word study 19 But you [as a reject, an outcast] are cast out of your grave [sepulchre, burial site] like a rejected [abominable, detestable] branch, covered by those slain [killed, murdered] with the sword [a cutting instrument], and dumped into a rocky [stony] pit [a cistern or prison] like a carcass [a dead body] trampled [trodden, crushed] underfoot [as something worthless, despised]. word study 20 You will not [never] join them in burial [tomb, grave], since you have destroyed [ruined, shattered] your land [earth, territory] and slaughtered [killed, slain] your own people [nation, family]. The offspring [seed, descendants] of the wicked [evil-doers, wrongdoers] will never [forever, always] again be mentioned [called, named]. word study 21 Prepare a place [of death, for execution] to slaughter [execute, put to death] his sons [children, descendants] for the iniquities [sins, moral evils] of their forefathers [fathers, ancestors]. They will never [not at all] rise up [stand, take power] to possess [take control, inherit] a land [country, territory] or cover [fill, occupy] the earth [world, ground] with their cities [towns, settlements]. word study 22 “I will rise up [stand against, take a stand] against them,” declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people]. “I will cut off [destroy, eliminate] from Babylon [Babel, a city and empire of confusion] her name [identity, reputation] and her remnant [what is left, survivors], her offspring [descendants, children] and her posterity [progeny, future generations],” declares the LORD. word study 23 “I will make her a place [for the porcupine, a heritage] for owls [bittern] and for swamplands [pools of water, a state of chaos]; I will sweep her away [with the besom of destruction, utterly annihilate] with the broom [the instrument of judgment] of destruction [to destroy, to desolate],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [the armies of heaven, the heavenly forces]. word study 24 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [army, a large group of people or things] has sworn [to make an oath, a promise or vow]: “Surely, as I have planned [thought, purposed, consulted] [with wisdom and intention], so will it be; as I have purposed [advised, counselled] [with a set intention], so will it stand [rise, come to pass, be established]. word study 25 I will break [shatter, demolish] Assyria [the Assyrian empire] in My land [My territory, My earthly domain]; I will trample [tread down, crush] him on My mountain [My holy hill, My place of power]. His yoke [a burden, a weight of oppression] will be taken off [removed, lifted] My people, and his burden [a load, a weight of responsibility] removed from their shoulders [the place of carrying burdens, the seat of strength].” word study 26 This [the plan devised] is the plan [counsel, advice] devised for the whole [entire, all-inclusive] earth [land, world], and this [the outstretched hand] is the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] stretched out [extended, spread] over all [every, entire] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 27 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [army, a large group of people or things] has purposed [to advise, counsel, or plan], and who [what person, which one] can thwart [break, frustrate, or disannul] Him? His hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] is outstretched [stretched out, spread out], so who [what person, which one] can turn [return, turn back] it back? word study 28 In the year [of significant change, a period of time] that King [a royal ruler, monarch] Ahaz [son of Jotham, father of Hezekiah] died [experienced death, passed away], this burden [a message from God, a prophetic oracle] was received [came to be, happened to come]: word study 29 Do not [never, under no circumstances] rejoice, all you Philistines [inhabitants of Philistia], that the rod [a rod or staff, a sceptre] that struck [hit, smote] you is broken [shattered, destroyed]. For a viper [poisonous serpent, adder] will spring [come forth, emerge] from the root [source, foundation] of the snake [serpent], and a flying serpent [fiery flying serpent, seraph] from its egg [offspring, fruit]. word study 30 Then the firstborn [the most honored, premier] of the poor [needy, destitute] will find pasture [food, nourishment], and the needy [oppressed, vulnerable] will lie down [rest, stretch out] in safety [security, confidence], but I will kill [destroy, slay] your root [source, foundation] by famine [hunger, lack of food], and your remnant [what remains, the surviving few] will be slain [killed, destroyed]. word study 31 Wail [howl, mourn], O gate [city entrance]! Cry out [shout, proclaim], O city [town, settlement]! Melt away [dissolve, be terrified], all you Philistines [inhabitants of Philistia]! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north [the direction of divine judgment], and there are no stragglers [loners, isolated ones] in its ranks [troops, assembled army]. word study 32 What [how, in what manner] answer will be given to the envoys [messengers, representatives] of that nation? “The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has founded [established, laid the foundations of] Zion [the city of God, a mountain in Jerusalem], where His afflicted [poor, humble, weak] people will find [take, seek] refuge [a safe place, protection].” word study