Read the Bible

¹ For the LORD will have compassion on Ya`akov, and will yet choose Yisra'el, and set them in their own land: and the sojourner shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Ya`akov. ² The peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place; and the house of Yisra'el shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and for handmaids: and they shall take them captive whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. ³ It shall happen in the day that the LORD shall give you rest from your sorrow, and from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,

⁴ that you shall take up this parable against the king of Bavel, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! ⁵ The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; ⁶ who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained. ⁷ The whole eretz is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing. ⁸ Yes, the fir trees rejoice at you, [and] the cedars of Levanon, [saying], Since you are laid low, no lumberjack is come up against us. ⁹ She'ol from beneath is moved for you to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the dead for you, even all the chief ones of the eretz; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. ¹⁰ All they shall answer and tell you, Are you also become weak as we? are you become like us? ¹¹ Your pomp is brought down to She'ol, [and] the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and worms cover you. ¹² How you are fallen from heaven, Heylel, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! ¹³ You said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on the mountain of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like Ha`Elyon. ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to She'ol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. ¹⁶ Those who see you shall gaze at you, they shall consider you, [saying], "Is this the man who made the eretz to tremble, who shook kingdoms; ¹⁷ who made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities of it; who didn't let loose his prisoners to their home?" ¹⁸ All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. ¹⁹ But you are cast forth away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot. ²⁰ You shall not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have killed your people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named forever. ²¹ Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up, and possess the eretz, and fill the surface of the world with cities. ²² I will rise up against them, says the LORD of Hosts, and cut off from Bavel name and remnant, and son and son's son, says the LORD. ²³ I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of Hosts.

²⁴ The LORD of Hosts has sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: ²⁵ that I will break the Ashshur in my land, and on my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder. ²⁶ This is the purpose that is purposed on the whole eretz; and this is the hand that is stretched out on all the nations. ²⁷ For the LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? ²⁸ In the year that king Achaz died was this burden. ²⁹ Don't rejoice, O Peleshet, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. ³⁰ The firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant shall be killed. ³¹ Howl, gate; cry, city; you are melted away, Peleshet, all of you; for there comes a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. ³² What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Tziyon, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.