How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For 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: 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 consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; That opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, Lie in glory, every one in his own house. But 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. Thou 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. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; That they do not rise, nor possess the land, For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, 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. The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; That I will break the Assyrian in my land, And his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. REJOICE 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. And the needy shall lie down in safety: And he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, 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. What 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. THE burden of Moab. BECAUSE in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; |