Isaiah 14:21

Updated Bible Version

Prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not rise up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Prepare for his sons a place of slaughterBecause of the iniquity of their fathers.They must not arise and take possession of the earthAnd fill the face of the world with cities."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let there a way be sought to destroy their children that be in their fathers wickednesse, that they come not vp agayne to possesse the lande, and fyll the worlde full of enemies.

Darby Translation
Prepare ye slaughter for his children, because of the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise up and possess the earth, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

New King James Version
Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities."

Literal Translation
Prepare for the slaughter of his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise and possess the land and fill the face of the earth with cities.

Easy-to-Read Version
Prepare to kill his children, because their father is guilty. His children will never take control of the land. They will never fill the world with their cities.

World English Bible
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up, and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

King James Version (1611)
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquitie of their fathers, that they doe not rise nor possesse the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

King James Version
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.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
There shal a waye be sought to destroye their childre, for their fathers wickednes: they shal not come vp agayne to possesse the londe, and fyll the worlde ful of castels and townes.

THE MESSAGE
Get a place ready to slaughter the sons of the wicked and wipe out their father's line. Unthinkable that they should own a square foot of land or desecrate the face of the world with their cities!

Amplified Bible
"Prepare a slaughtering place for his sons Because of the wickedness [the sin, the injustice, the wrongdoing] of their fathers. They must not rise and take possession of the earth, And fill the face of the world with cities."

American Standard Version
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Bible in Basic English
Make ready a place of death for his children, because of the evil-doing of their father; so that they may not come up and take the earth for their heritage, covering the face of the world with waste places.

Webster's Bible Translation
Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

New English Translation
Prepare to execute his sons for the sins their ancestors have committed. They must not rise up and take possession of the earth, or fill the surface of the world with cities."

Contemporary English Version
We will slaughter your sons to make them pay for the crimes of their ancestors. They won't take over the world or build cities anywhere on this earth.

Complete Jewish Bible
Get ready to slaughter his sons for the iniquity of their fathers; so they won't arise, take over the earth and cover the world with their cities."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Prepare a slaughter for his children, for the iniquitie of their fathers: let them not rise vp nor possesse the land, nor fil the face of the world with enemies.

George Lamsa Translation
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 war.

Hebrew Names Version
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.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

New Living Translation
Kill this man's children! Let them die because of their father's sins! They must not rise and conquer the earth, filling the world with their cities."

New Life Bible
Make a place ready for his sons to be killed because of the sin of their fathers. They must not come into power and take the earth, and fill the world with cities."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Prepare thy children to be slain for the sins of their father; that they arise not, and inherit the earth, nor fill the earth with wars.

English Revised Version
Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.

Berean Standard Bible
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquity of their fathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities.

New Revised Standard
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their father. Let them never rise to possess the earth or cover the face of the world with cities.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Prepare - for his sons - shambles. For the iniquity of their fathers, - They shall not rise nor possess the earth, Nor fill the face of the world with cities.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Prepare his children for slaughter for the iniquity of their fathers: they shall not rise up, nor inherit the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

Lexham English Bible
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons because of the sin of their ancestors. Let them not rise and take possession of the earth or fill up the face of the world with cities."

English Standard Version
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities."

New American Standard Bible
"Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth, And fill the surface of the world with cities."

New Century Version
Prepare to kill his children, because their father is guilty. They will never again take control of the earth; they will never again fill the world with their cities.

Good News Translation
Let the slaughter begin! The sons of this king will die because of their ancestors' sins. None of them will ever rule the earth or cover it with cities.

Christian Standard Bible®
Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons, because of the iniquity of their fathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or fill the surface of the earth with cities.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Make ye redi hise sones to sleying, for the wickidnesse of her fadris; thei schulen not rise, nether thei schulen enherite the lond, nether thei schulen fille the face of the roundenesse of citees.

Revised Standard Version
Prepare slaughter for his sons because of the guilt of their fathers, lest they rise and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities."

Young's Literal Translation
Prepare ye for his sons slaughter; Because of the iniquity of their fathers, They rise not, nor have possessed the land, Nor filled the face of the world [with] cities.

Contextual Overview

⁴ that you shall take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! the arrogance has ceased! ⁵ Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; ⁶ that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger with a persecution that none restrained. ⁷ The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing. ⁸ Yes, the fir-trees rejoice at you, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since you are laid low, no hewer has come up against us. ⁹ Sheol 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 earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. ¹⁰ They shall all answer and say to you, Have you also become weak as we? have you become like us? ¹¹ Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, [and] the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and worms cover you. ¹² How you have fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how you are cut down to the ground, that laid low the nations! ¹³ And 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 mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

slaughter: Exodus 20:5, Leviticus 26:39, Matthew 23:35

do not: Isaiah 27:6, Habakkuk 2:8-12

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 15:3 - slay 2 Kings 10:6 - your master's sons 2 Kings 10:11 - he left Job 18:19 - neither Job 21:19 - for his Psalms 37:28 - but Isaiah 13:11 - I will punish Isaiah 40:24 - they shall not be planted Hosea 13:15 - his spring Amos 5:2 - she shall Amos 6:9 - if

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Prepare slaughter for his children,.... These words are directed to the Medes and Persians, to prepare instruments of slaughter, and make use of them; and prepare themselves for the slaughter of the whole royal family, Belshazzar and all his children. So it is threatened to Jezebel, or the Romish antichrist, that all her children should be killed with death, Revelation 2:23:

for the iniquity of their fathers; they imitating and following them in their sins, partaking of them, and filling up the measure of their iniquities:

that they do not rise, nor possess the land; stand up and succeed him in the government of the land, as their inheritance:

nor fill the face of the world with cities; as their ancestors had done, which were built by them to perpetuate their name and glory, and to keep the nations in awe subdued by them. The Targum renders it, "with enemies"; which is followed by Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, "with wars"; to the great disturbance of the peace of the world, and to the disquietude of the inhabitants of it; which is a great plague to the world, and a judgment in it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Prepare slaughter for his children - That is, cut them off not only from inheriting the honor of their father, but from life. This command seems to be directed to the Medes and Persians, and denotes that they would thus cut off his children.

For the iniquity of their fathers - On account of the crimes of their ancestors - the pride, haughtiness, and oppression of the kings of Babylon. This is the statement of a general principle of the divine administration, that the consequences of crime often pass over from the perpetrator, and impinge on his descendants (see Exodus 20:5).

That they do not rise - That they do not rise to occupy the places of their fathers; that they be degraded and reduced from their elevation and honored.

Nor fill the face of the world with cities - The Septuagint renders this, ‘And fill the land with wars.’ The Chaldee, ‘And fill the face of the world with “enemies.”’ The Syriac, ‘And fill the face of the earth with war.’ These versions evidently took the word ערים ‛ārı̂ym to mean “enemies” or “wars” - a sense which the word sometimes may have. But the common interpretation is to be preferred. The apprehension was, that they would fill the land, if they lived, with such cities of pride, magnificence, and wickedness, as “Babylon” was, and that thus crimes would be multiplied and prolonged; and hence, the purpose of God was not only to cut off Babylon - the “model” of all cities of arrogance and pride - but also to cut off those who would be disposed to rear similar cities, and to fill the land again with crime.