2 Nephi 24
People in this chapter
This is the last of the thirteen Isaiah chapters Nephi copied into his record. It continues the prophecy against Babylon from chapter 23, but it begins with mercy: For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel (v. 1). Then Isaiah gives the freed people a song to sing over the fallen king of Babylon, a taunt that follows the tyrant all the way down into the grave.
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2 Nephi 24:1-3The Lord Will Have Mercy on Jacob
1For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. 2And the people shall take them and bring them to their place; yea, from far unto the ends of the earth; and they shall return to their lands of promise. And the house of Israel shall possess them, and the land of the Lord shall be for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them captives unto whom they were captives; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
After all of Israel's rebellion, the Lord will yet choose Israel. His choosing is not over. Strangers will join them too.
3And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.
The Lord promises rest from sorrow, fear, and hard bondage. Jesus offers the same rest: Come unto me... and I will give you rest.
2 Nephi 24:4-11How Hath the Oppressor Ceased
4And 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! 5The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepters of the rulers. 6He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. 7The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing. 8Yea, 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.
The freed people sing a taunt over the king of Babylon. The whole earth is finally quiet. Even the trees rejoice that no one is coming to cut them down.
9Hell 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. 10All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us? 11Thy 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.
In the world of the dead, the kings who went before rise to greet the tyrant: Art thou also become weak as we? Death levels every proud man.
2 Nephi 24:12-15How Art Thou Fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer
12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!
Isaiah calls the fallen king Lucifer, son of the morning. Modern revelation uses the same words for Satan, who fell from God's presence in the premortal life.
13For 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; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Five times the proud one says I will: ascend, exalt my throne, sit, ascend, be like the Most High. He wanted God's place. Instead he was brought down to hell.
2 Nephi 24:16-23Is This the Man That Made the Earth to Tremble?
16They 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? 17And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners? 18All the kings of the nations, yea, all of them, lie in glory, every one of them in his own house. 19But 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. 20Thou 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.
Those who once feared the tyrant stare at his body: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble? He never freed a prisoner, and he is not even given a burial.
21Prepare 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. 22For 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. 23I 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.
2 Nephi 24:24-32The Lord Hath Founded Zion
24The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying: Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand— 25That I will bring the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot; then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. 26This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations. 27For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
The Lord swears that what He has purposed will happen. Assyria's yoke will come off His people. No one can turn back His hand.
28In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. 29Rejoice 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. 30And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. 31Howl, 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. 32What shall then answer the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
The Isaiah chapters end with a promise for the humble: the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Why Did Lehi “Suppose” the Existence of Satan?Suggests that when Lehi spoke of an angel who had fallen from heaven according to that which is written (2 Nephi 2:17), he was drawing on Isaiah 14 in the brass plates.
- War in HeavenThe Church's summary of the premortal conflict in which Lucifer rebelled against the Father's plan and Jesus Christ was chosen as Savior.
- LuciferExplains the name Lucifer and gathers the scriptures, ancient and modern, that describe his fall.
Where this echoes in Scripture
The Lord Will Have Mercy on Jacob
- Isaiah 14:2And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place.The Bible wording, without "lands of promise."
- Matthew 11:28-29Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- 1 Nephi 14:2They shall be numbered among the seed of thy father; yea, they shall be numbered among the house of Israel.
- 2 Nephi 10:21-22Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea.
How Hath the Oppressor Ceased
- 2 Nephi 9:10How great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell.
- Psalm 49:16-17When he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
- Luke 12:20Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be?
- Ezekiel 31:16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell.A similar lament over a fallen empire.
How Art Thou Fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer
- D&C 76:25-27He was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!Modern revelation uses Isaiah's words for Satan.
- Moses 4:1-4Give me thine honor... Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.The two answers in the premortal council.
- 2 Nephi 2:17An angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven.
- Philippians 2:6-9He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death... Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him.
- Luke 10:18I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Is This the Man That Made the Earth to Tremble?
- Isaiah 61:1To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.
- 1 Peter 3:18-19He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.
- D&C 138:18The Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful.
- Daniel 5:30-31In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
The Lord Hath Founded Zion
- 2 Kings 19:35The angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.
- 2 Nephi 12:2-3The mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains.Where the long Isaiah quotation began.
- D&C 97:21Let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion-THE PURE IN HEART.
- Psalm 87:1-2His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion.