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.

As the former time made light The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, So the latter hath honoured the way of the sea, Beyond 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 are walking in darkness Have seen a great light, Dwellers in a land of death-shade, Light hath shone 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 multiplied the nation, Thou hast made great its joy, They have joyed before Thee as the joy in harvest, As [men] rejoice in their apportioning 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.

Because the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, Thou hast 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.

For every battle of a warrior [is] with rushing, and raiment rolled in blood, And it hath been for burning — fuel of 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 princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

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.

To the increase of the princely power, 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, Henceforth, even unto the age, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.

8 The Lord has sent death upon Jacob, and it has come upon Israel.

A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in 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 have known — all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, 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, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'

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

And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together,

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.

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

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

And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought.

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

And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed — the same day,

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

Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of 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 the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogised ones are consumed.

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.

Therefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one [is] profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

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 burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation 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.

In the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts Hath the land been consumed, And the people is as fuel of fire; A man on his brother hath no 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 cutteth down on the right, and hath been hungry, And he devoureth on the left, And they have not been satisfied, Each the flesh of his own arm they devour.

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