Esias 9

1 Drink this first. Act quickly, O land of Zabulon, land of Nephthalim, and the rest [inhabiting] the sea-coast, and [the land] beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

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 O people walking in darkness, behold a great light: you that dwell in the region [and] shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you.

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 The multitude of the people which you have brought down in your joy, they shall even rejoice before you as they that rejoice in harvest, and as they that 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 Because the yoke that was laid upon them has been taken away, and the rod that was on their neck: for he has broken the rod of the exactors, as in the day of Madiam.

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 they shall compensate for every garment that has been acquired by deceit, and [all] raiment with restitution; and they shall be willing, [even] if they were burnt with 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 a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.

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 His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: [it shall be] upon the throne of David, and [upon] his kingdom, to establish it, and to support [it] with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall 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 has sent death upon Jacob, and it has come upon Israel.

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

9 And all the people of Ephraim, and they that lived in Samaria shall know, who say in their pride and lofty 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 come, let us hew stones, and cut down sycamores and cedars, and let us build for ourselves a tower.

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

11 And God shall dash down them that rise up against him on mount Sion, and shall scatter his enemies;

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

12 [even] Syria from the rising of the sun, and the Greeks from the setting of the sun, who devour Israel with open mouth. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but still [his] hand is exalted.

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 turned not until they were struck, and they sought not the Lord.

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

14 So the Lord took away from Israel the head and tail, great and small, in one day:

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

15 the old man, and them that respect persons, this is the head; and the prophet teaching unlawful things, he is the tail.

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

16 And they that pronounce this people blessed shall mislead them; and they mislead them that they may devour them.

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 not take pleasure in their young men, neither shall he have pity on their orphans or on their widows: for they are all transgressors and wicked, and every mouth speaks unjustly. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.

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 And iniquity shall burn as fire, and shall be devoured by fire as dry grass: and it shall burn in the thickets of the wood, and shall devour all that is round about the hills.

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 The whole earth is set on fire because of the fierce anger of the Lord, and the people shall be as men burnt by fire: no man shall pity 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 But [one] shall turn aside to the right hand, for he shall be hungry; and shall eat on the left, and a man shall by no means be satisfied with eating 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 For Manasses shall eat [the flesh] of Ephraim, and Ephraim [the flesh] of Manasses; for they shall besiege Juda together. For all this [his] anger is not turned away, but [his] hand is yet exalted.

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