Isaiah 14:4-11

A Taunt for Babylon’s King

⁴you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say, “The mighty man has been destroyed. Yes, your insolence is ended.

⁵For the Lord has crushed your wicked power and broken your evil rule.

⁶You struck the people with endless blows of rage and held the nations in your angry grip with unrelenting tyranny.

⁷But finally the earth is at rest and quiet. Now it can sing again!

⁸Even the trees of the forest— the cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon— sing out this joyous song: ‘Since you have been cut down, no one will come now to cut us down!’

⁹“In the place of the dead there is excitement over your arrival. The spirits of world leaders and mighty kings long dead stand up to see you.

¹⁰With one voice they all cry out, ‘Now you are as weak as we are!

¹¹Your might and power were buried with you. The sound of the harp in your palace has ceased. Now maggots are your sheet, and worms your blanket.’