1For YHWH loves Jacob, || And has fixed again on Israel, || And given them rest on their own land, || And the sojourner has been joined to them, || And they have been admitted to the house of Jacob.
2And peoples have taken them, || And have brought them to their place, || And the house of Israel has inherited them, || On the land of YHWH, || For menservants and for maidservants, || And they have been captors of their captors, || And have ruled over their exactors.
3And it has come to pass, || In the day of YHWH’s giving rest to you, || From your grief, and from your trouble, || And from the sharp bondage, || That has been served on you,
4That you have taken up this allegory || Concerning the king of Babylon, and said, “How the exactor has ceased,
5The golden one has ceased. YHWH has broken the staff of the wicked, || The scepter of rulers.
6He who is striking peoples in wrath, || A striking without intermission, || He who is ruling nations in anger, || Pursuing without restraint!
7At rest—all the earth has been quiet, || They have broken forth [into] singing.
8Even firs have rejoiced over you, || Cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since you have lain down, || The hewer does not come up against us.
9Sheol beneath has been troubled at you, || To meet your coming in, || It is waking up Rephaim for you, || All chief ones of earth, || It has raised up from their thrones || All kings of nations.
10All of them answer and say to you, Even you have become weak like us! You have become like to us!
11Your excellence has been brought down to Sheol, || The noise of your stringed instruments, || The worm has been spread out under you, || Indeed, the worm is covering you.
12How you have fallen from the heavens, || O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to earth, || O weakener of nations.
13And you said in your heart: I go up into the heavens, || I raise my throne above the stars of God, || And I sit on the mountain of meeting in the sides of the north.
14I go up above the heights of a thick cloud, I am like to the Most High.
15Only—you are brought down to Sheol, || To the sides of the pit.
16Your beholders look to you, they attend to you, || Is this the man causing the earth to tremble, || Shaking kingdoms?
17He has made the world as a wilderness, || And he has broken down his cities, || He did not open the house of his bound ones.
18All kings of nations—all of them, || Have lain down in glory, each in his house,
19And you have been cast out of your grave, || As an abominable branch, raiment of the slain, || Thrust through ones of the sword, || Going down to the sons of the pit, || As a carcass trodden down.
20You are not united with them in burial, || For you have destroyed your land, || You have slain your people, || The seed of evildoers is not named for all time.
21Prepare slaughter for his sons; Because of the iniquity of their fathers, || They do not rise, nor have possessed the land, || Nor filled the face of the world [with] cities.
22And I have risen up against them,” || A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, || “And have cut off, in reference to Babylon, || Name and remnant, and continuator and successor,” || A declaration of YHWH.
23“And have made it for a possession of a hedgehog, || And ponds of waters, || And swept it with the broom of destruction,” || A declaration of YHWH of Hosts!
24YHWH of Hosts has sworn, saying, “As I thought—so has it not been? And as I counseled—it stands;
25To break Asshur in My land, || And I tread him down on My mountain, || And his yoke has turned from off them, || Indeed, his burden turns aside from off their shoulder.
26This [is] the counsel that is counseled for all the earth, || And this [is] the hand that is stretched out for all the nations.
27For YHWH of Hosts has purposed, || And who makes void? And His hand that is stretched out, || Who turns it back?”
28In the year of the death of King Ahaz was this burden:
29“Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you, || That the rod of your striker has been broken, || For from the root of a serpent comes out a viper, || And its fruit [is] a flying, burning serpent.
30And the firstborn of the poor have delighted, || And the needy lie down in confidence, || And I have put to death your root with famine, || And it slays your remnant.
31Howl, O gate; cry, O city, || You are melted, Philistia, all of you, || For smoke has come from the north, || And there is none alone in his set places.”
32And what does one answer the messengers of a nation? That YHWH has founded Zion, || And the poor of His people take refuge in it!