Isaiah 9

1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in 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 that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.

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 multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before you according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

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 you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

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 battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of 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 shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The 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 shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform 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 sent a word into Jacob, and it has lighted upon Israel.

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

9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

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 are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

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

11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

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

12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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 For the people turns not unto him that strikes them, neither do they 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 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

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

15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.

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

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to go astray; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

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 shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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 as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up 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 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare 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 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

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, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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