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:

For there is no gloom to her who had been in anguish, In the former time, he brought into dishonour The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, In the latter time, hath he brought into honour The Lake-way over the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

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 were walking in darkness, Have seen a great light, —The dwellers in a land death-shadowed, A light, hath shined upon them.

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 hast increased the exultation Thou hast made great the joy, —They joy before thee, according to the joy of harvest, As men exult when they distribute 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, the yoke of their burden, The cross-bar of their shoulder, The goad of their driver, Hast thou broken, 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.

Surely, every boot of one tramping in tumult, and the war-cloak rolled in blood Then shall serve for burning, food for 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, A Child, hath been born to us, A Son, hath been given to us, And the dominion is upon his shoulder, —And his Name hath been called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty GOD, Father of Futurity, Prince of Prosperity.

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.

Of the increase of dominion, and of prosperity, There shall be no end—Upon the throne of David and Upon his kingdom, By establishing it and By sustaining it, With justice and With righteousness, —From henceforth, Even unto times age-abiding: The jealousy of Yahweh of hosts, will perform this!

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

A word, hath My Lord, sent unto Jacob, —And it shall alight on Israel;

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

and the people shall all of them know [it] —Ephraim and the dweller in Samaria—Who in pride and insolence of heart, are saying:

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

Bricks, have fallen down But with hewn stone, will we build, —Sycomores, have been felled, But with cedars, will we replace them.

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

Therefore will Yahweh strengthen the adversaries of Resin against him, —And his enemies will he arouse:

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.

Syrians before and Philistines behind, Thus have they devoured Israel with open mouth, —For all this, hath his anger, not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched.

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

Yet, the people, have not turned unto him that smote them, —And Yahweh of hosts, have they not sought.

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

Therefore hath Yahweh cut off from Israel—Head and tail Palm-top and rush, In one day.

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

The elder and favourite, he, is the head, —And the prophet teaching falsehood, he, is the tail;

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

And they who should have led this people forward have been causing them to stray, —And, they who are led of them are destroyed,

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 cause, over their choice young men, will My Lord not rejoice, And on their fatherless and their widows, will he not have compassion, For every one of them, is profane and an evildoer, And, every mouth is speaking baseness, —For all this, hath his anger, not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched.

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 lawlessness, hath consumed like fire, Briars and thorns, doth it devour, —Yea it hath kindled upon the thickets of the forest, And they have rolled up as a column 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 Yahweh of hosts, is the land consumed, —And the people have come to be, as fuel for fire, A man unto his own brother, sheweth not pity;

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 hath slain on the right, and yet is hungry, And hath eaten on the left, yet are they not satisfied, —Every one, the flesh of his own arm, will they eat:

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—Ephraim, and Ephraim—Manasseh, They together—against Judah, —For all this, hath his anger not turned back, But still, is his hand outstretched.