Isaiah

Prophecies about judgment and salvation, promising hope and a savior.

Chapter 14

1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

*God will show kindness to Jacob (Israel) and pick them again. They'll go back to their homeland, where foreigners will join them and be close friends with Jacob's family.

2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

*The people will bring them to their home, and Israel will have them as servants and helpers. They will capture those who captured them before, and rule over the ones who treated them badly.

3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

*In the day the Lord gives you peace, you will be free from sadness, fear, and harsh slavery.

4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

*You will use this saying against the ruler of Babylon and say, "The cruel person has stopped! The wealthy city has stopped!"

5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

*The Lord has shattered the power of the evil people, and the rule of the leaders.

6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

*He who harshly punished people repeatedly, ruling nations angrily, is now being persecuted and no one stops it.

7 The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

*The entire world is peaceful and still; people start to sing out loud.

8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

*Yes, the fir trees are happy because of you, and the cedar trees of Lebanon say, "Since you have rested, no one has cut us down anymore."

9 Hell 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.

*Hell will rise to greet you when you arrive; it will awaken all the important people from the ground, even all the kings from different countries who were sitting on their thrones.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

*They will ask you, "Are you also weak like us? Are you the same as us?"

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

*Your grandness goes to the grave, and the sound of your musical instruments too. Worms spread beneath you and more worms cover you.

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

*"How have you fallen from heaven, Lucifer, morning star's child? Why are you brought down to earth, weakening the nations?"

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

*You have said in your heart that you will go to heaven, make your throne higher than God's stars, and sit on the mountain where people gather, in the north side.

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

*I'll rise above the clouds' height; I'll be as great as the highest one.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

*But you will be taken to a terrible place called hell, near a deep pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

*People who see you will closely examine you and think, "Is this the person who caused the earth to quake and shook entire kingdoms?"

17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

*That turned the world into a desert, destroying its cities, and didn't open the prison house?

18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

*All kings from different countries, each one, are glorious in their homes.

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

*But you are thrown out from your grave like a hated branch, and like the clothes of those who are killed, pierced by a sword and falling to the bottom of the pit; like a body trampled on, under people's feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

*Do not bury yourself with wicked people, as you have ruined your land and killed your people. The descendants of wrongdoers will never be famous.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

*Get ready to punish the children for their parents' wrongdoings. This way, they won't take over the land or build many cities all over the world.

22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

*"I will act against them," says the Lord of armies, "cutting off Babylon's name, remaining people, sons, and grandsons," says the Lord.

23 I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

*I will give this land to the bittern and create ponds of water, then I will destroy it completely, says the Lord of heavenly armies.

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

*The God of armies promises that whatever He thinks will happen, will indeed happen, and whatever He plans will definitely stay in place.

25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

*I will defeat the Assyrians in my territory and crush them underfoot on my mountains. Then, I will free them from his control and remove his heavy load from their shoulders.

26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

*The goal planned for everyone on Earth is this, and the hand reaching out to every country.

27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

*The Lord, who has powerful authority, has made a plan, and nobody can change it. He is reaching out His hand, and no one can stop Him.

28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

*In the year King Ahaz passed away, this message came to pass.

29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

*Don't be happy, all of Palestine, just because the one who hurt you is no longer powerful. A dangerous snake will come from the original snake's roots, and its offspring will be a flying serpent that breathes fire.

30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

*The first child of the poor will have enough, and those in need will be safe. But I'll make you hungry, destroying your family line, and someone else will finish off what's left of you.

31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

*Shout, gate; scream, city; all of Palestine is falling apart; because from the north, a smoke will come, and no one will be alone during their scheduled times.

32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

*Then what should one tell the nation's messengers? That the LORD created a place called Zion, and the poor will rely on it for help.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes