Isaiah 9

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:

In the earlier time, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were lifted up. But in the later time, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, was weighed down.

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. A light has risen for the inhabitants of the region of the shadow of death.

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.

You have increased the nation, but you have not increased the rejoicing. They will rejoice before you, like those who rejoice at the harvest, like the victorious exulting after capturing the prey, when they divide the spoils.

4 For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

For you have prevailed over the yoke of their burden, and over the rod of their shoulder, and over the scepter of their oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For every violent plunder with a tumult, and every garment mixed with blood, will be burned up and will become fuel for the fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And leadership is placed upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called: wonderful Counselor, mighty God, father of the future age, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

His reign will be increased, and there will be no end to his peace. He will sit upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to confirm and strengthen it, in judgment and justice, from now even unto eternity. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall accomplish this.

8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob, and it has fallen upon Israel.

The Lord sent a word to Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.

9 All the people will know it— Ephraim and the dwellers of Samaria. With pride and arrogance of heart they will say:

And all the people of Ephraim will know it. And the inhabitants of Samaria will say it, in the arrogance and haughtiness of their heart:

10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with squared stones. They have cut down the sycamores, but we will replace them with cedars.”

11 The LORD has raised up the foes of Rezin against him and joined his enemies together.

And the Lord will raise up the enemies of Rezin over him, and he will turn his adversaries into a tumult:

12 Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have devoured Israel with open mouths. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

the Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west. And they will devour Israel with their whole mouth. After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.

13 But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.

And the people did not return to the One who struck them, and they did not seek the Lord of hosts.

14 So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.

And so, the Lord will disperse, away from Israel, the head and the tail, he who bows down and he who refrains, in one day.

15 The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

The long-lived and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

16 For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

And those who deceitfully praise this people, and those who are praised, will be thrown down violently.

17 Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

For this reason, the Lord will not rejoice over their youths. And he will not take pity on their orphans and widows. For each one is a hypocrite, and each one is wicked, and every mouth has spoken foolishness. After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.

18 For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets which roll upward in billows of smoke.

For impiety has been kindled like a fire: it will devour brier and thorn, and it will burn in the dense forest, and it will be interwoven with the ascending smoke.

19 By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.

The earth has been shaken by the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and the people will become like fuel for the fire. A man will not spare his own brother.

20 They carve out what is on the right, but they are still hungry; they eat what is on the left, but they are still not satisfied. Each one devours the flesh of his own offspring.

And he will turn toward the right, and he will be hungry. And he will eat toward the left, and he will not be satisfied. Each one will eat the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they will be against Judah.

21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turn against Judah. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

After all this, his fury was not turned away; instead, his hand was still extended.