Daily Bread

14 The Lord will have compassion^(A) on Jacob;
    once again he will choose^(B) Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.^(C)
Foreigners^(D) will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
² Nations will take them
    and bring^(E) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations^(F)
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives^(G) of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.^(H)

How the oppressor^(N) has come to an end!
    How his fury^[a] has ended!
⁵ The Lord has broken the rod^(O) of the wicked,^(P)
    the scepter^(Q) of the rulers,
⁶ which in anger struck down peoples^(R)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued^(S) nations
    with relentless aggression.^(T)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;^(U)
    they break into singing.^(V)
8 Even the junipers^(W) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”^(X)

⁹ The realm of the dead^(Y) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed^(Z) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders^(AA) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.^(AB)
10 They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”^(AC)
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,^(AD)
    along with the noise of your harps;^(AE)
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms^(AF) cover you.^(AG)

¹² How you have fallen^(AH) from heaven,
    morning star,^(AI) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!^(AJ)
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend^(AK) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne^(AL)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,^(AM)
    on the utmost heights^(AN) of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;^(AO)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”^(AP)
15 But you are brought down^(AQ) to the realm of the dead,^(AR)
    to the depths^(AS) of the pit.^(AT)

¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:^(AU)
“Is this the man who shook^(AV) the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness,^(AW)
    who overthrew^(AX) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”^(AY)

¹⁸ All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.^(AZ)
19 But you are cast out^(BA) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,^(BB)
    with those pierced by the sword,^(BC)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.^(BD)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
²⁰     you will not join them in burial,^(BE)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring^(BF) of the wicked^(BG)
    never be mentioned^(BH) again.
²¹ Prepare a place to slaughter his children^(BI)
    for the sins of their ancestors;^(BJ)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

²² “I will rise up^(BK) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name^(BL) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,^(BM)”
declares the Lord.
²³ “I will turn her into a place for owls^(BN)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,^(BO)”
    declares the Lord Almighty.^(BP)

“Surely, as I have planned,^(BR) so it will be,
    and as I have purposed, so it will happen.^(BS)
25 I will crush the Assyrian^(BT) in my land;
    on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke^(BU) will be taken from my people,
    and his burden removed from their shoulders.^(BV)”

²⁶ This is the plan^(BW) determined for the whole world;
    this is the hand^(BX) stretched out over all nations.
²⁷ For the Lord Almighty has purposed,^(BY) and who can thwart him?
    His hand^(BZ) is stretched out, and who can turn it back?^(CA)

²⁹ Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,^(CE)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,^(CF)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.^(CG)
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
    and the needy^(CH) will lie down in safety.^(CI)
But your root I will destroy by famine;^(CJ)
    it will slay^(CK) your survivors.^(CL)

³¹ Wail,^(CM) you gate!^(CN) Howl, you city!
    Melt away, all you Philistines!^(CO)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,^(CP)
    and there is not a straggler in its ranks.^(CQ)
32 What answer shall be given
    to the envoys^(CR) of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,^(CS)
    and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.^(CT)”