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.

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.

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,

4.  ¶ That thou shalt take up this

proverb against the king of Baby-

lon, and say, How hath the oppres-

sor ceased!  the golden city ceased!

5.  The LORD hath broken the staff

of the wicked, and the sceptre of the

rulers.

6.  He who smote the people in

wrath with a continual stroke, he

that ruled the nations in anger, is

persecuted, and none hindereth.

7.  The whole earth is at rest, and is

quiet: they break forth into singing.

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.

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.

10.  All they shall speak and say un-

to thee, Art thou also become weak

as we?  art thou become like unto 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.

12.  How art thou fallen from hea-

ven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

how art thou cut down to the ground,

which didst weaken 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:

14.  I will ascend above the heights

of the clouds; I will be like the most

High.

15.  Yet thou shalt be brought down

to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16.  They that see thee shall nar-

rowly look upon thee, and consider

thee, saying, Is this the man that

made the earth to tremble, that did

shake kingdoms;

17.  That made the world as a wilder-

ness, and destroyed the cities there-

of; that opened not the house of his

prisoners?

18.  All the kings of the nations,

even all of them, lie in glory, every

one in his own house.

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.

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.

21.  Prepare slaughter for his chil-

dren for the iniquity of their fathers;

that they do not rise, nor possess the

land, nor fill the face of the world

with cities.

22.  For I will rise up against them,

saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off

from Babylon the name, and rem-

nant, and son, and nephew, saith 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.

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:

25.  That I will break the Assyrian

in my land, and upon my moun-

tains tread him under foot: then

shall his yoke depart from off them,

and his burden depart from off their

shoulders.

26.  This is the purpose that is pur-

posed upon the whole earth: and

this is the hand that is stretched out

upon all the nations.

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?

28.  In the year that king Ahaz

died was this burden.

29.  ¶ Rejoice not thou, whole Pal-

estina, 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.

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.

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.

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.