Isaiah 9

1 Yet the darkenesse shall not be according to the affliction that it had when at the first hee touched lightly the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, nor afteward when he was more grieuous by the way of the sea beyond Iorden in Galile of the Gentiles.

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 that walked in darkenes haue seene a great light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadowe of death, vpon them hath the light shined.

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 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased their ioye: they haue reioyced before thee according to the ioye in haruest, and as men reioyce when they deuide a spoyle.

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 the yoke of their burthen, and the staffe of their shoulder and the rod of their oppressour hast thou broken as in the day of Midian.

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 Surely euery battell of the warriour is with noyse, and with tumbling of garments in blood: but this shall be with burning and deuouring of 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 vnto vs a childe is borne, and vnto vs a Sonne is giuen: and the gouernement is vpon his shoulder, and he shall call his name Wonderfull, Counseller, The mightie God, The euerlasting Father, The 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 The increase of his gouernement and peace shall haue none end: he shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid, and vpon his kingdome, to order it, and to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice, from hencefoorth, euen for euer: the zeale of the Lord of hostes will performe 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 hath sent a worde into Iaakob, and it hath lighted vpon Israel.

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

9 And all the people shall knowe, euen Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and presumption of the heart,

His whole people shall feel it, Ephraim, and the inhabitants of Samaria, Who say in pride and arrogance of heart,

10 The brickes are fallen, but we will build it with hewen stones: the wilde figge trees are cut downe, but we will change them into ceders.

“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 Neuerthelesse the Lord will raise vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together.

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

12 Aram before and the Philistims behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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 For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes.

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

14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and taile, branche and rush in one day.

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

15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

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

16 For the leaders of the people cause them to erre: and they that are led by them are deuoured.

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

17 Therefore shall the Lord haue no pleasure in their yong men, neither will he haue compassion of their fatherlesse and of their widowes: for euery one is an hypocrite and wicked, and euery mouth speaketh follie: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out stil.

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 wickednesse burneth as a fire: it deuoureth the briers and the thornes and will kindle in the thicke places of the forest: and they shall mount vp like the lifting vp 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 hostes shall the land be darkened, and the people shall be as the meate of ye fire: no man shall spare 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 And he shall snatch at the right hand, and be hungrie: and he shall eate on the left hand, and shall not be satisfied: euery one shall eate ye flesh of his owne arme.

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, Ephraim: and Ephraim Manasseh, and they both shall be against Iudah yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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.