The Downfall of the King of Babylon

3 And it shall happen on the day Yahweh gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and hard labor which you had to perform,[fn]

• 4 and you will say:
• “How the oppressor has ceased!
  • his insolence[fn] has ceased.
  • 5 the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers,
  • 6 the peoples in wrath, a blow without ceasing, that ruled the nations in anger
  • [fn]
  • 7 and is quiet; they break forth into singing.
  • 8 the cypresses rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon:
• ‘Since you were laid down,
  • no wood cutter comes up against us.’
  • 9  to meet[fn]
• it arouses the dead spirits for you,
  • all of the leaders of the earth.
  • It raises all of the kings of the nations from their thrones.
• 10  ‘You yourself also were made weak like us!
  • You have become the same as us!’
  • 11 to Sheol, and the sound of your harps;
• maggots[fn] are spread out beneath you like a bed,
  • and your covering is worms.[fn]
  • 12  You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations!
• 13 And you yourself said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;
  • I will raise up my throne above the stars of God;
• and I will sit on the mountain of assembly
  • on the summit of Zaphon;[fn]
  • 14 the high places of the clouds,[fn] I will make myself like the Most High.’
  • 15  to the depths of the pit.
  • 16  they will look closely at you:
• ‘ Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
  • who caused kingdoms to shake,
  • 17 the world like the desert and destroyed its cities,
  • who would not let his prisoners go home?’
  • 18 the kings of the nations, all of them, lie in glory, each one in his house.
  • 19 as for you, you are thrown away from your grave, like an abhorrent shoot,
• clothed with the slain,
  • those pierced by the sword,
• those who go down to the stones of the pit,
  • like a corpse that is trodden down.
• 20  because you have destroyed your land,
  • you have killed your people.

The descendants[fn] of evildoers will not be mentioned for eternity!

• 21 because of the sin of their ancestors.[fn]
• Let them not rise and take possession of the earth
  • or fill up the face of the world with cities.”

22 declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts,

• “and I will cut off name and a remnant from Babylon,
  • and offspring and posterity,”

declares[fn] Yahweh.

• 23 the hedgehog, and pools of water,
• and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,”

declares[fn] Yahweh of hosts.