Isaiah 14

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah 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.

2And 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.

3And 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 Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

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

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

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

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

9Hell 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.

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

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

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

13For 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:

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

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

16They 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;

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

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

19But 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.

20Thou 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.

21Prepare 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.

22For 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.

23I 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:

25That 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.

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

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

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

29Rejoice 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.

30And 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.

31Howl, 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.

32What 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Isaiah 14 prophesies the restoration of Israel, promising them mercy, a return to their land, and dominion over oppressors. This sets the stage for a powerful taunt against the king of Babylon, whose tyrannical rule ceases, bringing rest to the earth. The king, likened to "Lucifer, son of the morning," is condemned for his pride and ambition to ascend above God, leading to his ignominious fall and a dishonorable burial. The chapter concludes with the LORD's unchangeable purpose to break Assyria and a warning of judgment against Philistia, while affirming Zion's security.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with a divine promise of mercy and restoration for Jacob, assuring Israel's return to their land and their eventual rule over those who once held them captive, bringing rest from their hard bondage. A prophetic taunt is then delivered against the king of Babylon, celebrating the end of his oppressive reign which had afflicted nations. His fall is depicted as a descent into Sheol, where deceased kings mock his newfound weakness. He is identified as "Lucifer, son of the morning," cast down from his lofty ambition to be like the Most High, destined for the pit. Unlike other kings, he is denied an honorable burial due to his destructive actions against his land and people. The LORD of hosts declares a complete destruction of Babylon and its lineage. The chapter concludes with the LORD's sworn purpose to break the Assyrian power and a warning to Philistia of a more dangerous foe, while affirming that Zion is founded by the LORD and its poor will trust in Him.

Long Summary

Isaiah 14 opens with a divine promise of mercy and restoration for the house of Jacob, assuring Israel's return to their own land and their eventual dominion over those who once held them captive. This restoration will bring rest from sorrow, fear, and hard bondage. Following this promise, the prophet delivers a powerful taunt against the king of Babylon, celebrating the cessation of his oppressive rule, which had afflicted nations with continuous strokes of wrath. The entire earth is depicted as finding peace and breaking forth into singing at his downfall, with even the fir trees and cedars rejoicing at the absence of a feller. The scene then shifts to Sheol, where the fallen king is met by the spirits of deceased kings who mock his newfound weakness, questioning if he too has become like them. His earthly pomp and music are replaced by the worms of the grave. A pivotal passage addresses him as "Lucifer, son of the morning," lamenting his fall from a position of perceived glory. His downfall is attributed to his immense pride and ambition, expressed in his heart's desire to ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and ultimately be like the Most High. Despite these aspirations, he is destined for the depths of hell. Those who witness his humbled state in the grave can barely recognize him as the man who once made the earth tremble and shook kingdoms, turning the world into a wilderness and destroying cities. Unlike other kings who lie in glory, he is denied an honorable burial, cast out like an abominable branch, because he destroyed his land and slew his people. The LORD of hosts then vows to utterly destroy Babylon, cutting off its name, remnant, and offspring, and transforming it into a desolate wasteland. The chapter concludes with a declaration of the LORD's unchangeable purpose to break the Assyrian power in His land, removing their oppressive yoke. A final "burden" is pronounced against Philistia, warning them not to rejoice prematurely, as a more formidable foe will arise from the serpent's root, while the poor of Zion will find safety and trust in the LORD's foundation.

Core Concepts

  • Restoration of IsraelThe LORD promises to have mercy on Jacob, choose Israel, and restore them to their own land, freeing them from bondage and granting them dominion over their former oppressors.
  • Fall of Babylon's KingThe chapter details the dramatic downfall of the tyrannical king of Babylon, whose oppressive rule ceases, bringing rest to the earth and leading to his ignominious descent into Sheol.
  • Pride and Ambition (Lucifer)The king's hubris, expressed in his desire to ascend above God and be like the Most High, is the direct cause of his catastrophic fall from a position of power and glory.
  • Ignominious BurialUnlike other kings, the king of Babylon is denied an honorable burial, cast out like an abominable branch due to his destructive actions against his land and people.
  • Divine Judgment on BabylonThe LORD's resolute decree to utterly destroy Babylon, cutting off its name and lineage, and transforming it into a desolate place for wild creatures.
  • God's Unchangeable PurposeThe declaration that the LORD of hosts has sworn and purposed to break the Assyrian and other nations, and His hand stretched out cannot be turned back or disannulled.
  • Zion's SecurityDespite the judgments on surrounding nations, the LORD has founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it, signifying divine protection and hope.