The Fall of Babylon

And it shall come to pass in that day,
that thou shalt take up this proverb
against the king of Babylon, and say:

How hath the oppressor ceased,
the golden city ceased!

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepters of the rulers.

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

The whole earth is at rest,
and is quiet;
they break forth into singing.

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

Hell 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.

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

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave;
the noise of thy viols is not heard;
the worm is spread under thee,
and the worms cover thee.

How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!

Art thou cut down to the ground,
which did weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thy 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;

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

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

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee,
and shall consider thee, and shall say:

“Is this the man that made the earth to tremble,
that did shake kingdoms?

“And made the world as a wilderness,
and destroyed the cities thereof,
and opened not the house of his prisoners?”

All the kings of the nations,
yea, all of them, lie in glory,
every one of them in his own house.

But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch,
and the remnant of those that are slain,
thrust through with a sword,
that go down to the stones of the pit;
as a carcass trodden under feet.

Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial,
because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people;
the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned.

Prepare slaughter for his children
for the iniquities of their fathers,
that they do not rise,
nor possess the land,
nor fill the face of the world with cities.

For 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.

I 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.