Isaiah 14:1-15

The LORD will show mercy to the people of Jacob, and he will again choose the people of Israel. He will settle them in their own land. Then non-Israelite people will join the Israelites and will become a part of the family of Jacob. Nations will take the Israelites back to their land. Then those men and women from the other nations will become slaves to Israel in the LORD’s land. In the past the Israelites were their slaves, but now the Israelites will defeat those nations and rule over them. The LORD will take away the Israelites’ hard work and will comfort them. They will no longer have to work hard as slaves. On that day Israel will sing this song about the king of Babylon: The cruel king who ruled us is finished; his angry rule is finished! The LORD has broken the scepter of evil rulers and taken away their power. The king of Babylon struck people in anger again and again. He ruled nations in anger and continued to hurt them. But now, the whole world rests and is quiet. Now the people begin to sing. Even the pine trees are happy, and the cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice. They say, “The king has fallen, so no one will ever cut us down again.” The place of the dead is excited to meet you when you come. It wakes the spirits of the dead, the leaders of the world. It makes kings of all nations stand up from their thrones to greet you. All these leaders will make fun of you and will say, “Now you are weak, as we are. Now you are just like us.” Your pride has been sent down to the place of the dead. The music from your harps goes with it. Flies are spread out like your bed beneath you, and worms cover your body like a blanket. King of Babylon, morning star, you have fallen from heaven, even though you were as bright as the rising sun! In the past all the nations on earth bowed down before you, but now you have been cut down. You told yourself, “I will go up to heaven. I will put my throne above God’s stars. I will sit on the mountain of the gods, on the slopes of the sacred mountain. I will go up above the tops of the clouds. I will be like God Most High.” But you were brought down to the grave, to the deep places where the dead are.