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How the oppressor has ceased!
    How his insolence^[b] has ceased!
⁵ The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
    the scepter of rulers,
⁶ that struck down the peoples in wrath
    with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
    with unrelenting persecution.
⁷ The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
    they break forth into singing.
⁸ The cypresses exult over you,
    the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
"Since you were laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down."
⁹ Sheol beneath is stirred up
    to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
    all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
    all who were kings of the nations.
¹⁰ All of them will speak
    and say to you:
"You too have become as weak as we!
    You have become like us!"
¹¹ Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
    and the sound of your harps;
maggots are the bed beneath you,
    and worms are your covering.

¹² How you are fallen from heaven,
    O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
    you who laid the nations low!
¹³ You said in your heart,
    "I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
    on the heights of Zaphon;^[c]
14 I will ascend to the tops of the clouds,
    I will make myself like the Most High."
¹⁵ But you are brought down to Sheol,
    to the depths of the Pit.
¹⁶ Those who see you will stare at you,
    and ponder over you:
"Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
    who shook kingdoms,
¹⁷ who made the world like a desert
    and overthrew its cities,
    who would not let his prisoners go home?"
¹⁸ All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
    each in his own tomb;
¹⁹ but you are cast out, away from your grave,
    like loathsome carrion,^[d]
clothed with the dead, those pierced by the sword,
    who go down to the stones of the Pit,
    like a corpse trampled underfoot.
²⁰ You will not be joined with them in burial,
    because you have destroyed your land,
    you have killed your people.

May the descendants of evildoers
    nevermore be named!
²¹ Prepare slaughter for his sons
    because of the guilt of their father.^[e]
Let them never rise to possess the earth
    or cover the face of the world with cities.

²⁴ The Lord of hosts has sworn:
As I have designed,
    so shall it be;
and as I have planned,
    so shall it come to pass:
²⁵ I will break the Assyrian in my land,
    and on my mountains trample him under foot;
his yoke shall be removed from them,
    and his burden from their shoulders.
²⁶ This is the plan that is planned
    concerning the whole earth;
and this is the hand that is stretched out
    over all the nations.
²⁷ For the Lord of hosts has planned,
    and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
    and who will turn it back?

²⁹ Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,
    that the rod that struck you is broken,
for from the root of the snake will come forth an adder,
    and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
³⁰ The firstborn of the poor will graze,
    and the needy lie down in safety;
but I will make your root die of famine,
    and your remnant I^[f] will kill.
³¹ Wail, O gate; cry, O city;
    melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you!
For smoke comes out of the north,
    and there is no straggler in its ranks.

³² What will one answer the messengers of the nation?
"The Lord has founded Zion,
    and the needy among his people
    will find refuge in her."