14 Yahweh will have compassion on Yakov,

≈ and will choose Yisrael again,

and settle them on their own land.

Foreigners will join with them,

≈ and attach themselves to the Israeli people.

2 The nations will take them back to their own place,

and in Yahweh’s land, the Israelis will take them as male and female servants.

They’ll take their captors captive,

≈ and they’ll rule over their oppressors.

3 Then at the time when Yahweh gives you a break from your anguish and suffering,

≈ and from the hard labour you did as slaves,

4 then you’ll taunt Babylon’s king with this song,

“How the oppressor has stopped,

≈ and how his fury has ceased.

5 Yahweh has broken the wicked peoples’ staff,

≈ the golden rod of the rulers.

6 In your rage, you struck the people groups with never-ending blows,

≈ ruling the nations in anger—persecuting them without restraint.

7 Now the whole world is in restful peace.

People have broken out with a shout of celebration.

8 Even the cypress trees are happy about your demise,

≈ as as the cedars in Lebanon.

Now that you’re powerless,

→ no one comes up to cut us down.

9 Down below, the grave is excited

≈ waiting for your arrival.

It wakes up the dead for you—all the kings of the earth,

≈ raising them from their thrones—all the kings of the nations.

10 They’ll all speak and tell you

that you have been made weak like them,

in fact become completely like them.

11 Your reputation has been brought down to the grave,

≈ along with the sound of your harps.

Maggots are spread to be your mattress,

≈ and worms are your blanket.

12 How you’ve fallen from heaven, you shining son of the dawn.[ref]

≈ You’ve been cut down to the ground, you who defeated nations.

13 You had said to yourself,

‘I will climb up to the heavens above God’s stars.

≈ I will elevate my throne and I will rule on the mountain

where they assemble on Tsafon’s heights.

14 I’ll go up above the tops of the clouds,

≈ I’ll make myself like the most high one.’

15 Nevertheless you’ve been taken down to the grave—

≈ to the remotest parts of the pit.

16 Those who see you there will stare at you.

≈ They’ll ponder your fate—

if you’re the man who make the earth tremble?

≈ The one who made kingdoms shake?

17 The one who turned the world into a wilderness,

and tore down its cities?

The one wouldn’t release his prisoners of war to go home?

18 All the kings of the nations have laid down in honour—

each one in his own tomb,

19 but you have been thrown out of your grave,

like an unwanted branch that’s thrown away.

Those killed with the sword surround you like how clothes wrap around a person.

They went down to the stones in the pit like a trampled corpse.

20 You won’t be buried with them because you’ve ruined your land.

You’ve killed your people—

the offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again.

21 Prepare for the slaughter of his children because of their fathers’ disobedience,

in case they rise up and possess the earth,

and fill the world with their cities.