And it shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee
rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service
wherein thou wast made to serve, that thou shalt take up this parable
against the king of Babylon, and say,
"How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! Jehovah hath
broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; that smote the
peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in
anger, with a persecution that none restrained."
The whole earth is at
rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir-trees
rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
"Since thou art laid low, no hewer is come up against us. Sheol from
beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the
dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up
from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
"All they shall answer and say unto thee, 'Art thou also become weak as we?
art thou become like unto us?' Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the
noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover
thee.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! And thou
saidst in thy heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in
the uttermost parts of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Yet thou shalt be
brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. They that see
thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, 'Is this the
man that made the earth tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the
world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not
loose his prisoners to their home?'
"All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in
his own house. But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an
abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with
the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden
under foot. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because
because thou hast destroyed the land, thou hast slain thy people; the
seed of evildoers shall not be named for ever."
— Isaiah 14:3-20
