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:

But the darkness shall not remain where now is distress; Of old he brought the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali into contempt; In future times shall he bring the land of the sea beyond Jordan, the circle of the gentiles, into honor.

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 that walk in darkness behold a great light; They who dwell in the land of death-like shade, Upon them a light shineth.

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.

Thou enlargest the nation; Thou increasest their joy; They rejoice before thee with the joy of harvest, With the joy of those who divide the spoil.

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 thou breakest their heavy yoke, And the rod that smote their backs, And the scourge of the taskmaster, 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 greave of the warrior in battle, And the war-garment rolled in blood, Shall be burned; yea, it shall be food 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 to us a child is born, To us a son is given, And the government shall be upon his shoulder, And he shall be called Wonderful, counsellor, mighty potentate, Everlasting father, 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 dominion shall be great, And peace without end shall be upon the throne of David and his kingdom, To fix and establish it Through justice and equity, Henceforth and forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will do this.

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

The Lord sendeth a word against Jacob; It cometh down to Israel.

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

His whole people shall feel it, Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, Who say in pride and arrogance of 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 are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”

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

Jehovah will raise up the enemies of Rezin against them, And will arm their adversaries;

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 before, the Philistines behind, Who shall devour Israel with wide jaws. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.

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

The people turn not to him that smiteth them; Neither do they seek Jehovah of hosts.

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

Therefore shall Jehovah cut off from Israel the head and the tail, The palm-branch and the rush, in one day.

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

[[The aged and the honorable are the head, And the prophet that speaketh falsehood is the tail.]]

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

For the leaders of this people lead them astray, And they that are led by them go to destruction.

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.

Therefore shall the Lord have no joy in their young men, And on their orphans and widows he shall have no compassion; For they are all profane, and evil-doers; Every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.

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 wickedness burneth like a fire, It consumeth the briers and thorns, And it kindleth the thicket of the forest, So that it goeth up in columns of 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.

Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burned, And the people are food for the fire; No one spareth another.

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.

They consume on the right hand, and yet are hungry; They devour on the left, and are not satisfied; Every one devoureth the flesh of his arm.

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.

Manasseh is against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, And both together against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, But his hand is stretched out still.