“Look how the oppressor has met his end!
Hostility 2 has ceased!
14:5 The Lord has broken the club of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers.
14:6 It 3 furiously struck down nations
with unceasing blows. 4
It angrily ruled over nations,
oppressing them without restraint. 5
14:7 The whole earth rests and is quiet;
they break into song.
14:8 The evergreens also rejoice over your demise, 6
as do the cedars of Lebanon, singing, 7
‘Since you fell asleep, 8
no woodsman comes up to chop us down!’ 9
14:9 Sheol 10 below is stirred up about you,
ready to meet you when you arrive.
It rouses 11 the spirits of the dead for you,
all the former leaders of the earth; 12
it makes all the former kings of the nations
rise from their thrones. 13
14:10 All of them respond to you, saying:
‘You too have become weak like us!
You have become just like us!
14:11 Your splendor 14 has been brought down to Sheol,
as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. 15
You lie on a bed of maggots,
with a blanket of worms over you. 16
14:12 Look how you have fallen from the sky,
O shining one, son of the dawn! 17
You have been cut down to the ground,
O conqueror 18 of the nations! 19
14:13 You said to yourself, 20
“I will climb up to the sky.
Above the stars of El 21
I will set up my throne.
I will rule on the mountain of assembly
on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 22
14:14 I will climb up to the tops 23 of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High!” 24
14:15 But you were brought down 25 to Sheol,
to the remote slopes of the pit. 26
14:16 Those who see you stare at you,
they look at you carefully, thinking: 27
“Is this the man who shook the earth,
the one who made kingdoms tremble?
14:17 Is this the one who made the world like a desert,
who ruined its 28 cities,
and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?”’ 29