Isaiah 9

1 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.

For [there will be] no gloom on her who [is] distressed as at the former time. The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter has honored the way of the sea, Beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 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.

The people who are walking in darkness Have seen a great light, Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light has shone on them.

3 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.

You have multiplied the nation, You have made its joy great, They have rejoiced before You as the joy in harvest, As [men] rejoice in their apportioning spoil.

4 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.

Because the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, You have broken as [in] the day of Midian.

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

For every battle of a warrior [is] with rushing, and raiment rolled in blood, And it has been for burning—fuel of fire.

6 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.

For a Child has been born to us, A Son has been given to us, And the dominion is on His shoulder, And He calls His Name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

7 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.

Of the increase of [His] dominion, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on His kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, From now on, even for all time, The zeal of YHWH of Hosts does this.

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

The Lord has sent a word into Jacob, And it has fallen in Israel.

9 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:

And the people have known—all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying,

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

“Bricks have fallen, and we build hewn work, Sycamores have been cut down, and we renew cedars.”

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

And YHWH sets the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And he joins his enemies together,

12 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.

Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

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

And the people has not turned back to Him who is striking it, And they have not sought YHWH of Hosts.

14 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.

And YHWH cuts off head and tail from Israel, Branch and reed—the same day.

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

Elderly and accepted of faces—he [is] the head, And prophet teaching falsehood—he [is] the tail.

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

And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogized ones are consumed.

17 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.

Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over its young men, And He does not pity its orphans and its widows, For everyone [is] profane, and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this His anger has not turned back, And His hand is still stretched out.

18 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.

For wickedness has burned as a fire, It devours brier and thorn, And it kindles in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

19 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.

In the wrath of YHWH of Hosts The land has been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man has no pity on his brother,

20 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.

And cuts down on the right, and has been hungry, And he devours on the left, And they have not been satisfied, They each devour the flesh of his own arm.

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

Manasseh—Ephraim, and Ephraim—Manasseh, Together they [are] against Judah, With all this His anger has not turned back. And His hand is still stretched out!