1The LORD will have compassion for Jacob and again choose Israel. He will resettle them in their own country. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob. 2People will take them and bring them to their own place. The nation of Israel will possess nations as male and female slaves in the LORD's land. They will take their captors captive and rule their oppressors.

3When that day comes, the LORD will give you relief from your pain and suffering, from the hard slavery you were forced to do.

4Then you will mock the king of Babylon with this saying, "How the tyrant has come to an end! How his attacks have come to an end!"

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

6They struck the people with fury, with blows that didn't stop. They ruled nations in anger, persecuting them without restraint.

7The whole earth rests and is peaceful. It breaks out into shouts of joy.

8Even the cypresses rejoice over you. The cedars of Lebanon say, "Since you have fallen, no lumberjack has come to attack us."

9Sheol below wakes up to meet you when you come. It wakes up the ghosts of the dead, all who were leaders on earth. It raises all who were kings of the nations from their thrones.

10All of them will greet you, "You also have become weak like us! You have become like one of us!"

11Your pride has been brought down to Sheol along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out [like a bed] under you, and worms cover you.

12How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!

13You thought, "I'll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God's stars. I'll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble.

14I'll go above the top of the clouds. I'll be like the Most High."

15But you've been brought down to Sheol, to the deepest part of the pit.

16Those who see you stare at you; they look at you closely and say, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms,

17who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities, who didn't let his prisoners go home?"

18All the kings of the nations, all of them, have been buried with honor, each in his own tomb.

19But you are thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch. You are covered with those who were killed in battle. You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse.

20You won't be joined by the kings in the tomb, because you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The descendants of the wicked will never be mentioned again.

21Prepare a place to slaughter their sons because of their ancestors' guilt. They won't be able to rise, possess the earth, and rebuild cities all over it.

22"I'll rise up against them," declares the LORD of Armies. "I'll cut off the name of the survivors from Babylon, its offspring and descendants," declares the LORD. 23"It will become the possession of herons. It will become pools of water. I'll sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of Armies.

24The LORD of Armies has taken an oath: "It will happen exactly as I've intended. It will turn out exactly as I've planned. 25I'll crush Assyria on my land. I'll trample it underfoot on my mountains. Then its yoke will be removed from my people, and its burden will be removed from their shoulders." 26This is the plan determined for the whole earth. This is how he will use his power against all the nations. 27The LORD of Armies has planned it. Who can stop it? He is ready to use his power. Who can turn it back?

28This was the divine revelation in the year King Ahaz died.

29All you Philistines, don't rejoice that the rod of the one who struck you is broken, because a viper will come from that snake's root, and his descendant will be a flying, fiery serpent.

30The poorest of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety. But I will put your root to death with famine and kill off your survivors.

31Cry loudly in the gate! Cry out in the city! Be frightened, all you Philistines! Smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

32How should we answer the messengers from the nations? [Tell them that] the LORD has laid Zion's foundation, and his humble people will find refuge in it.