Isaiah 14 - Easy To Read Version

¹ \{In the future,\} the Lord will again show his love to Jacob. The Lord will again choose the people of Israel. \{At that time,\} the Lord will give those people their land. Then non-Jewish people {\cf2\super [146]} will join themselves to the Jewish people. Both people will join and become one family—Jacob’s family.

² Those nations will take the people of Israel back to Israel’s land. Those men and women from the other nations will become slaves to Israel. \{In the past,\} those people forced the people of Israel to become their slaves. But \{at this time,\} the people of Israel will defeat those nations and Israel will then rule over them.

³ The Lord will take away your hard work, and he will comfort you. \{In the past,\} you were slaves. Men forced you to do very hard work. But the Lord will end this hard work for you.

⁴ At that time, you will begin to sing this song about the king of Babylon:

⁵ The Lord breaks the scepter {\cf2\super [147]} of evil rulers.\par The Lord takes away their power.\par

⁶ In anger, the king of Babylon beat people.\par He never stopped beating people.\par That evil ruler ruled the people in anger.\par He never stopped hurting people.\par

⁷ But now, the whole country rests.\par The country is quiet.\par Now the people begin to celebrate.\par

⁸ You were an evil king,\par and now you are finished.\par Even the pine trees are happy.\par The cedar trees of Lebanon are happy.\par The trees say,\par “The king chopped us down.\par But now the king has fallen,\par and he will never stand again.”\par

⁹ Sheol, {\cf2\super [148]} \{the place of death\} is excited\par because you are coming.\par Sheol is waking the spirits of all\par the leaders of the earth for you.\par Sheol is making the kings stand\par from their thrones.\par They will be ready for your coming.\par

¹⁰ All these leaders will make fun of you.\par They will say,\par “Now you are a dead body like us.\par Now you are just like us.”\par

¹¹ Your pride has been sent down to Sheol. {\cf2\super [149]} \par The music from your harps announces\par the coming of your proud spirit.\par Maggots (flies) will eat your body.\par You will lie on them like a bed.\par Worms will cover your body like a blanket.\par

¹² You were like the morning star,\par but you have fallen from the sky.\par In the past, all the nations on earth\par bowed down before you.\par But now you have been cut down.\par

¹³ You always told yourself,\par “\{I will be like God Most-High\}.\par I will go to the skies above.\par I will put my throne above God’s stars.\par I will sit on holy mountain, Zaphon. {\cf2\super [150]} \par I will meet \{with the gods\}\par on that mountain.\par

¹⁴ I will go up to the altar in the clouds.\par I will be like God Most-High.”\par

¹⁵ But that did not happen.\par You did not go to the sky with God.\par You were brought down to the deep pit—\par Sheol, {\cf2\super [151]} the place of death.\par

¹⁶ The people look at you and think about you.\par \{They see that you are only a dead body,\}\par and the people say,\par “Is this the same man that caused great fear\par in all the kingdoms on earth?\par

¹⁷ Is this the same man that destroyed cities\par and changed the land into a desert?\par Is this the same man that captured people\par in war and would not let them go home?”\par

¹⁸ Every king on earth has died with glory.\par Every king has his own grave.\par

¹⁹ But you, evil king, have been thrown\par from your grave.\par You are like a branch cut from a tree.\par That branch is cut and thrown away.\par You are like a dead man that fell in battle,\par and other soldiers walked on him.\par Now, you look like any other dead person.\par You are wrapped in burial clothes.\par

²⁰ Many other kings have died.\par And they all have their own graves.\par But you will not join them.\par Why? Because you ruined your own country.\par You killed your own people.\par Your children will not continue\par to destroy like you did.\par Your children will be stopped.\par

²¹ Prepare to kill his children.\par Kill them because their father is guilty.\par His children will never again\par take control of the land.\par They will never again\par fill the world with their cities.\par

²² The Lord All-Powerful said, “I will stand and fight against those people. I will destroy the famous city, Babylon. I will destroy all the people of Babylon. I will destroy their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.” The Lord himself said those things.

²³ The Lord said, “I will change Babylon. That place will be for animals, {\cf2\super [152]} \{not people\}. That place will be a swamp. I will use the ‘broom of destruction’ to sweep Babylon away.” The Lord All-Powerful said those things.

²⁴ The Lord All-Powerful has made a promise. The Lord said, “I promise, these things will happen exactly like I thought. These things will happen exactly the way I planned.

²⁵ I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will trample (walk on) that king on my mountains. That king made my people be his slaves; he put a yoke {\cf2\super [153]} on their necks. That pole will be taken off Judah’s neck. That burden will be removed.

²⁶ That is the thing I plan to do for my people. And I will use my arm (power) to punish all nations.”

²⁷ When the Lord makes a plan, no person can stop that plan. When the Lord raises his arm to punish people, no person can stop him.

²⁸ This sad message was given the year King Ahaz died. {\cf2\super [154]}

²⁹ Country of Philistia, you are very happy because the king that beat you is now dead. But you should not be really happy. It is true that his rule has ended. But the king’s son will come and rule. And it will be like one snake giving birth to a more dangerous snake. This new king will be like a very quick and dangerous snake to you.

³⁰ But my poor people will be able to eat safely. Their children will be safe. My poor people will be able to lie down and feel safe. But I will kill your family with hunger. And all your people that are left will die.

³¹ You people near the city gates, cry!\par You people in the city, cry out!\par All of you people in Philistia\par will be frightened.\par Your courage will melt like hot wax.\par

³² \{That army will send messengers\par to their country.\}\par What will those messengers tell their people?\par They will announce:\par \{Philistia was defeated,\}\par but the Lord made Zion {\cf2\super [156]} strong.\par And his poor people went there for safety.\par